Pieces
by Ande883
Summary: A fox and a rabbit walk into a bar… When a drunken night turns into so much more for Nick and Judy, they need to figure out where they stand as friends, as partners, and maybe something they would never have thought possible. From all angles, it seems as though they are doomed to fail. But you know how it goes… Try everything.
1. A Fox and a Rabbit Walk Into a Bar

**A/N: Hey guys. This is a story that just sorta happened. I had an idea fly into my brain and I just started writing. Come to find out, I loved writing this one and I'm super eager to continue it. I don't have it all planned out, so updates for this one are going to be completely random, though I'll try to shoot for a chapter every two weeks, give or take a few days. Anyways, I'll let you read and definitely let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Day turned into night. The stars in the sky twinkled with a dim radiance that was very nearly drowned out by the intense lights of the city. The usual bright blue of the sky became dark, only outlined by the brilliant white orb of the full moon and the horizon which glowed with the vibrant hues of orange and pink from the setting sun. For some, the day was just beginning. The night shift at Precinct One had taken over, leaving the day shift to do whatever their hearts desired.

For three officers, it meant a regular meeting at Precinct One's very own designated celebration location, Miranda's. Miranda's was an ordinary bar that had soon been taken over by several of the city's finest in law enforcement, and then dubbed it as their official "hang out spot" practically turning it into a cop bar. Typically a trip to Miranda's would be in effect when there was cause for celebration. A cracked case, a promotion or a big raise, new equipment that replaced some previously very old and despised equipment, another day that went without any incidents. Just about anything would be celebrated at this one location. Sure they would have a "proper" celebration at the station, usually involving cake in the break room and nothing more, but Miranda's was saved for after hours when everyone was off the clock and they could actually enjoy themselves instead of still being under the watch of Chief Bogo.

Tonight, however, had no cause for celebration. Nothing worth celebrating had occurred, but for the majority of the precinct, that didn't matter.

Precinct One was a tightly knit group of officers that all enjoyed the company of one another. Nightly rounds at Miranda's were a typical occurrence, with different groups of officers showing up at the bar on different nights, sometimes with larger groups than normal. Every single officer had taken to enjoy the establishment and partake in the atmosphere it provided at some point in their time at Precinct One. So when a wide-eyed gray bunny and a laid-back red fox decided to walk through those doors, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Nick and Judy were no strangers to the place and had almost become regular inhabitants around three nights a week. Friday nights had become their most common appearance, usually serving as a time to toast to the previous week and begin their weekend on a positive note, ringing it in with a night of talking, having fun, and a bit of light drinking.

The pair of officers were not the only ones to show themselves. It goes without saying that on a Friday night Miranda's could be filled with more officers than usual. It wasn't just those two that came up with having fun on a Friday after a long week at work protecting the city. It had been a thing long before they had even become police officers. There was one other officer that accompanied the fox and bunny that night, the one that had gotten them to start attending those nightly celebrations some three months earlier when Nick was barely a week into his employment.

Officer Tanya Kasten befriended the two officers right after Nick's partnership with Judy began. The caracal proved to be Nick's match when it came to wit, and the two were almost constantly butting heads in a completely friendly manner. Tanya had made an almost instant friendship with Nick, but with Judy, it was no doubt from the moment they saw each other that they would be best friends. While she got her fair share of joking and messing about with Nick, the fox wasn't someone who she could connect with on a deeper level. Judy was able to fulfill her needs when it came to gossip and other things that girls do, but mostly gossip.

Actually, scratch that. It was all gossip.

That fateful Friday night, Judy was the first to walk into the bar, excited to begin her long awaited weekend. She had nearly exhausted herself to the point of tears that week, doing everything she could to make the world a better place. Constant street patrol on foot and in a car proved to be a lot more exhausting than it appeared, making this visit to Miranda's necessary for the gray bunny.

Nick followed right after Judy, the red fox being tugged along by his paw. His face may have appeared rather annoyed, but after the gray bunny stopped pulling at his appendage and asked him where they should sit, his features softened up and he looked a lot happier, his tail swaying to the beat of the music playing from speakers overhead.

Judy looked behind her, placing her paw on Nick's arm as if she were looking around a wall. Not too long after the fox and bunny entered the building, the reddish-gold and ZPD blue caracal strode inside, her face showing a content expression of enjoyment of the moment. Her long tail mimicked Nick's and swayed back and forth to the upbeat music. The most striking and noticeable feature of Tanya was the two tufts of jet black fur on the tips of her ears. They bobbed up and down with each movement of her head and flicked around when her ears moved towards a noise. Judy, seeing the caracal, waved her over to her and Nick in a very flamboyant manner which caused Nick to stare at her while silently laughing to himself.

"I think she sees you, Carrots. There are only about fifteen feet in between us, you know," the fox chided. The bunny looked up at Nick with a very annoyed expression.

"I don't care, Slick. I'm just excited for tonight. Quit haulin' over my coals," she shot back.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't say that ever again. It doesn't work when someone so-"

"Don't you dare say what I know you're gonna say, Nick,"

"You didn't even let me-"

"Would both of you quit arguing like a couple of five-year-olds. We're in a bar, you know, for grown-ups. Start acting like it, children." The smooth and very feminine voice of Tanya overpowered the argument that Nick and Judy were currently having. Her voice was booming, yet at the same time very pleasant to the ears, another aspect that made her very easy to talk to. As she spoke, Nick grumbled at being interrupted for the second time. He pointed one of his digits at the caracal's face in annoyance.

"Oh, can it, Kasten. We're having a very grown-up discussion right now, so we'd appreciate it if you would stop-"

"Interrupting you?" both Tanya and Judy said in unison. The cat and bunny didn't even look at each other, keeping their eyes fixed upon Nick, but they both wore imitations of Nick's smug grin on their faces as they high-fived. Nick grumbled once more, becoming even more flustered than before having been interrupted for the third time in less than a minute. Tanya and Judy laughed openly at Nick's anger and annoyance, both of them enjoying pushing the fox's buttons.

"Har, har. Very funny, you two. Now, why don't we-"

"Hey, our booth is open! Let's get it before someone else takes it!" Tanya quickly said. Judy agreed, and the two ran off towards their usual table leaving Nick all by his lonesome. Nick grumbled for the fourth time that night, which to him was four times too many. The reynard padded over to where the caracal and bunny had already situated themselves in the corner booth that they so often sat in. When he approached, the two were snickering at him. Nick decided to fire back at them.

"I will fight you both," he stated simply. Unfortunately for Nick, this only seemed to make them laugh even more.

"I'm sorry, Nick, but you don't really stand much of a chance against either of us," Tanya began while trying to control her laughter. "Jude could knock you out in less than three seconds. I could easily jump over two of you stacked on top of each other. You wouldn't be able to touch either of us,"

"Believe me, Kasten. We will spar some day, and I _will_ beat you. I'm a male, so I have brute strength on my side." Nick said matter-of-factly.

"I hate to break it to you, but we're the same size. Plus, you have the agility of an earthworm when compared to me. I'd take you down in ten seconds flat," Tanya fired back.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try, fleabag!"

"Bring it, foxtrot!"

"I will, pretty kitty! You better watch yourself!"

"I think both of you should shut up! Talk about acting like a couple of kits!" Judy shouted over the fox and caracal, barely able to stifle her own giggles. Both of them stopped and looked at Judy, who was sliding out of the booth. As she gently landed on the floor of the establishment, she turned towards the other two mammals before speaking.

"I'm going to assume scotch and soda for you two?" the bunny asked. The fox and caracal both nodded at the same time which prompted Judy to go over to the bar to order their drinks, leaving Nick and Tanya alone at the booth.

"So, what's been up with you lately. We hardly saw you at the station this week," Nick asked. The caracal sighed before leaning back in the booth.

"Oh, I've been really busy with a case. It's been sending me all over the city looking for leads, but they all seem to end up running dry before I find anything useful. I haven't gotten more than five hours of sleep all week. Thankfully I've got someone to work for me this weekend otherwise I wouldn't be here," Tanya said. The cat was truly exhausted from all of the work she had put in that last week, barely able to stay awake through the workday and was also struggling now. The dim lights didn't help much for her, either.

"That's rough. I know it took me a couple of weeks to just get used to getting up early in the morning. I can't imagine going off of so little sleep knowing that it probably isn't going to let up for a while,"

"Thanks, Nick. That's really helping me feel better about next week," she said sarcastically.

"Always willing to make another's day a little brighter" Nick replied. The caracal scoffed at his response.

"I think you have it a little wrong. When it comes to Precinct One, Judy is the one that makes your day brighter. She's always so happy about everything, and then you come along to make you wonder why it is that you haven't transferred to another precinct,"

"Oooh, that hurt, Kasten. Right in the feels," Nick said, placing his paws over his heart and pretending to have a heart attack and falling back on the booth. Tanya laughed at Nick's ridiculous overreaction, nearly having to wipe the tears forming in her eyes. Nick sat back up just in time for Judy to come back, wielding two glasses of scotch and soda, as well as a much smaller glass with the same drink for her. Both Tanya and Nick stopped their laughing and looked at Judy, slightly confused.

"Did you get yourself a scotch and soda, Carrots?" Nick asked of the bunny.

"Yep," she replied with a bright smile. She set all three glasses down on the table and slid the two larger ones over to Tanya and Nick.

"Since when did you drink, Jude? I've never seen you consume an ounce of alcohol in all the times we've been here," Tanya said. Judy raised her glass, which got the other two to do the same.

"I figured tonight was reason enough to celebrate. It was exactly a year ago today that I began work on the missing mammal case that turned out to be the Nighthowler case. Had I not done that, I have a feeling everything would be different," Judy raised her glass a little bit higher before continuing. "So, a toast, to how things turned out,"

"To how things turned out!" the three shouted in tandem, clinking their glasses together and then all simultaneously taking a sip. Judy was not expecting the feeling that the scotch provided. Though it was slightly diluted by the club soda, it was still quite strong for the bunny and burned her lips, tongue, and throat. While she was quite fond of the flavor, she wasn't too sure how she felt about the titular liquid. Nick and Tanya both took rather large sips and let out a sigh of satisfaction as they set their glasses down. Judy cleared her now burning throat and prepared herself to speak once more.

"Things turned out especially well. I have the greatest job on the planet and the greatest mammal to work alongside me," she said, giving Nick a playful wink. "My life would not be nearly as enjoyable if it weren't for me being a complete idiot, and having an even bigger one help me solve that seemingly impossible case," Judy's words were enough to get both the caracal and fox to smile sentimentally, including herself.

"Well said, Carrots. While we both are happy for you with this accomplishment, I'm not sure you should be drinking that. You don't know how your body will handle hard liquor. I just don't want you to have too much," Nick said. He was genuinely concerned for the bunny. He noticed that she was downing her glass quite quickly and was nearly ready for a second. While her glass was considerably smaller than his, she was also considerably smaller than Nick or Tanya, giving the alcohol a much greater effect on her judgment. The effect was already noticeable in the way that she spoke slightly slurred.

"I think I'll be fine, Nick. At first, I didn't really like it, but now that I've had a few more sips I think I'm starting to warm up to it," she said as she downed the rest of her glass and slammed it down onto the table. Just when Nick thought he might be able to persuade her to just drink water the rest of the night, she bounded off towards the bar in search of another glass of scotch and soda. Nick leaned over towards Tanya and whispered to her.

"Do you think we should cut her off?"

Tanya took one good look at the slightly drunk bunny and put on a devious smile that rivaled Nick's.

"I think we should let her find out the hard way."

* * *

The remainder of the night had gone on without much incident. Nick and Tanya let Judy keep drinking until she had almost downed her third glass, leaving the bunny in a rather intoxicated state. She could barely speak, she wobbled about as she tried to navigate the bar, and every so often a high-pitched hiccup could be heard from her side of the booth.

However, it wasn't just Judy that had taken to drinking a little too much that night. While Nick was careful to watch how much Judy was taking in, he had somewhat forgotten about how much he had, leaving him in almost as bad a shape as Judy. The only responsible one that night had been Tanya, yet she was still not far off from ending up like the fox and bunny. Her speech was a little slurred, but overall she could still understand what was going on right in front of her. She knew that a major hangover would be due for both of them the next morning. The good thing about the situation was that neither of the two owned a car, so a terrible mistake on how to get home would not be made.

Both the fox and the bunny found out that they could easily make conversation while drunk. Even if that conversation was nearly impossible to understand for a sober mammal, it was still coherent for the two.

"Y-ya know what, Nick? I-I-I think you're j-just the funniest… dude out there, ya know?" Judy slurred, putting her arm around Nick's shoulder and causing him to laugh unreasonably loud.

"Ya know, I-I never th-thought about it like th-th-that, Kerrotz. D-Did you know dat you look like a… um… uhhh. I forgot what I waz gonna say," Nick said, his speech almost worse than Judy's. Tanya sat next to the fox and bunny, trying her best to stop herself from laughing too hard at how drunk they both were. The caracal would have loved to keep watching them, but duty called and she had to slide out of the booth to relieve herself.

"I'll only be gone for a few minutes, you two. Don't get into too much trouble," she said, then walking off towards the restroom. Nick looked at Judy like he never had before, partially because he had never been this drunk around her. But there was something about the way that he looked at her that caused her to speak. Never in her life did she think she would ever say this, but due to her inebriation, it came out rather easily.

"Nick, I love you… sooooooo much!" she exclaimed as she buried her muzzle into Nick's chest and wrapped her arms around him. Nick didn't even seem to be phased by the sudden affection, but he also seemed to agree with it very strongly.

"I love you t-too, Kerrotz… I want to eat your face I love you so much…" Nick said a little bit too loudly, causing some of the other bar patrons to turn and look at the fox and bunny. Luckily for them, the others seemed to lose interest in them quite quickly, so what happened next was not witnessed by anyone else. Judy stopped nuzzling Nick's chest and looked him straight in the eyes. Then, without hesitation, she jumped on him and smashed her lips into his, knocking the fox over onto the seat of the booth. Even through the haze that the alcohol provided, an intense wave of euphoria surged through both the fox and bunny as they continued to embrace each other. Their paws began to explore a little more, which seemed to sober Judy up enough for her to realize they were only a quick glance away from an indecent exposure charge.

She got off of Nick and sat up normally and tugged Nick off of the seat of the booth. When he sat up, the fur on his head was rather messy and he had a cheeky grin on his face with his tongue lolling out to one side.

"N-Nick, we should probably go somewhere else. We can't do this here…"

Judy had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before Nick grabbed her arm and began tugging her along with him to the doors to Miranda's. He was navigating surprisingly well for how much he had to drink, but that may have partially been due to what Judy said earlier. It had probably sobered him up enough to warrant slightly improved depth perception and he was able to get both of them out of the bar without incident.

* * *

The caracal walked out of the restroom with a satisfied grin on her face. She was eager to get back to the booth so that she could keep an eye on the two children that were with her. It was funny how much Nick and Judy drank, but she was wondering how they planned on getting themselves home when the time came. She didn't know where either of them lived and they would surely be too drunk to get there themselves. But for now, she didn't worry about that. She just wanted to get back to the booth and continue enjoying her night.

She navigated through the tables and eventually caught sight of the booth that she had been sitting at for the last few hours. But something seemed off about the table. Something was missing. It hit her like a ton of bricks when she noticed the fox and bunny were no longer seated at the booth. Her frustration only warranted one reaction.

"Goddamnit."

* * *

 **A/N: What did you think? Good? Bad? Excited to find out what happens next? It'll be coming soon. I've got a little bit done, but I won't for long as I plan on getting the first two chapters, the only two I have done at the moment, out in a relatively short amount of time.**

 **Just for a little insight as to what this story will be all about, I want to start off with the personal life of Nick and Judy and how their relationship is about to change, which will be the first few chapters. Then I'm thinking of adding a crime arc after that, but not straying away from the relationship bit. That will be the main focus.**

 **And of course, I would love to hear your suggestions if you have any for some future chapters. Don't be afraid to throw some ideas at me. I'll be more than happy to take a look at them, and if I really like what you've got, I'll do what I can to put it in, and give credit for of course ;)**

 **Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite! I'll see you next chapter!**

 **Cheers!**

 **-Ande**


	2. Better Late Than Never

**A/N: Hey guys! It's me again. I present to you, Chapter 2 of Pieces. For those of you that didn't like Tanya, she doesn't even speak in this chapter and is only mentioned a little bit. And also regarding her character, she is going to become a much bigger part of the story and will play an important role for Nick and Judy. So there... please enjoy!**

* * *

The bunny knew that she was awake. While previously her reality was nothing but the peacefulness of a wondrous slumber, she now felt the bright rays of the late morning sun shining upon her face from the window in her bedroom.

Though she was awake, she did not want to open her eyes. She still felt rather tired from the previous night, but she couldn't remember exactly what she did that would warrant her apparent exhaustion. Sure, the entire last week had been full of plenty of work, leaving very little time for her to rest properly, but as far as she could tell, she should have gotten some very restful sleep.

The bunny stirred in the bed, trying to get into a more comfortable position to fall back asleep. Her motions were enough to make her aware of a pounding headache that caused her to moan quietly in pain. It was an intense, thumping pain that wouldn't let up, preventing her from relaxing enough to fall back asleep. For several minutes, she lay in her bed with her paws over her ears, pulling them downward in an attempt to ward off the already very prominent headache.

Judy felt a slight tickle in her throat, which caused her to feel the urge to cough. She fought and fought with herself, but in the end, her efforts proved null as she erupted in a coughing fit that worsened her headache and forced her eyes open. As soon as her eyes were opened they were met with an intense light that caused her to replace her paws over her head as her headache continued to pound in her temples.

Eyes closed, the bunny sat up in her bed with the covers over her body and breathed quickly through her nose. As she took in the air around her, she realized that her apartment smelled radically different from the last time she was there, which had only been the previous morning. As far as she was concerned, nothing should have happened to render her own living quarters foreign to her nose. She continued analyzing the scent, finding it horrifyingly familiar. After some mental preparation, she finally gathered the courage to open her eyes and find out what made her apartment seem so different. Her eyes opened slowly, revealing a room that was not what she expected.

She wasn't in her apartment at all.

That fact alone was enough for her to keep her eyes open despite the pounding that intensified in her head. She looked around the new environment and saw that she was in a rather large bed, plenty big enough for at least four of her. Judy slowly turned her head to the right, where she noticed another figure still asleep next to her, and a sudden flood of memories from the last night came back to her. Her drunken antics caused her to say things that she should have never said out loud, do things that should have never been done in public, and go home with mammals that she shouldn't have gone home with.

"Nick!"

The sudden shout caused the titular red fox to awake with a tremendous start, while at the same time groaning in pain. Apparently having a terrible headache like Judy, the fox covered his ears to prevent any loud noises from causing any more pain, though much to his dismay, the bunny next to him was too loud for his paws to block the sound. He reluctantly opened his eyes and found a panicking Judy sitting in his bed with the covers over her body and yelling his name at the top of her lungs. He only had one other option to make her quieten down.

"Judy! Be quiet, my head hurts like crazy," he said, hushed enough to warrant as little aggravation of his headache as possible, but loud enough for Judy to easily hear him. The rabbit covered her mouth and gasped after realizing that the one she screamed for was right next to her. She also noted that he appeared to be completely naked, save for the bedsheets covering the lower half of his body. His eyes remained squinted and he looked at her with a pained expression from his headache.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Nick! I had no idea that you were awake," she apologized. Nick cracked a tired and pained smile as he got into a more comfortable seating position, using one of the many pillows as a backrest.

"I wasn't, just try to keep your voice down. I'm sure your head hurts, too, so just avoid loud noises and bright lights until you start to feel better, ok?" Judy looked in front of her, breathing heavily and very confused as to how she got into this position.

"Wait, how did you know that my head hurt?"

"You and I both know that you had way too much to drink last night. It's guaranteed that you're gonna have a really bad hangover. This one is even bad for me and I'm usually pretty good with them," Nick said. The fox leaned back and put both of his paws behind his head right as Judy remembered some things from last night.

"Nick… at the bar last night... did we-"

"Yep."

"And then we-"

"Yep."

"And we left-"

"Yep."

"I'm such an idiot…"

"Yep."

Nick's last response got him a well-aimed bunny fist to the shoulder, the force of which aggravated his headache and caused him to rub the spot where Judy punched him.

"I'm just kidding, Carrots. Maybe it makes you someone with poor judgement when it comes to how much alcohol you can handle, but not an idiot," Nick said. His reassurance did not make her feel any better, though. She had let herself get carried away last night, and she ended up sleeping with Nick, something that she would have thought completely insane had she been sober.

"Nick, do you have any idea what this means for us? We can't let _anyone_ know that this happened. We have to keep it a secret, no matter what," Judy said. Her tone was completely serious, but it seemed to all get lost on the fox.

"I don't know what the big deal is, Carrots. We had sex, so what? It's not like anyone would really care," Nick said. Judy was so blown away that she almost started laughing.

"Nick, you do realize that the precinct doesn't allow for romantic relationships between officers. We could get forced to transfer to separate precincts if Bogo found out about this. Plus, don't you think it's a little bit weird… you know… a fox and a bunny…"

"Just spit it out, Judy. We're not children anymore. You can say that we've had sex," Nick got closer to Judy's face and started talking in a high-pitched voice.

"C'mon, I wanna hear you say it. Say it. Say it. Say it..."

Judy's face burned with embarrassment and anger as Nick continued to chant aloud. After about the tenth time, Judy had heard enough and she snapped.

"Alright! I'll say it! We had sex, and I'm pretty sure you enjoyed it!" Judy lowered her voice and moved her muzzle closer to Nick. "You did enjoy it, right?" she whispered. Judy looked at Nick's smug face and waited for his response.

"I did, one hundred percent," he stated simply with a brash grin on his muzzle. Judy put on a frown and looked down into her lap, where Nick's bedsheets still covered her naked body. Judy tried thinking back on the night that they had. She clearly remembered everything up until she came back with the drinks, but that was when things started to get fuzzy. She figured maybe Nick could fill her in on some of the finer details that she missed.

"So, do you remember what happened last night?" she asked the fox. A wave of disappointment washed over her when he shrugged and shook his head.

"I've got bits and pieces, but that's it. I can't remember the walk to the apartment," Nick put on an evil grin and got his muzzle closer to Judy. "But I remember what happened after we got here," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Judy pushed Nick's muzzle away from her face as she tried to act angry, but she still couldn't help but giggle a little as he again tried to get close to her. The bunny once again had to shove the fox away, this time using more force than was necessary. The resulting shove was enough to aggravate both of their headaches to the point of both of them holding their heads tenderly to ease the pounding.

"I think we need to keep things quiet for a while and avoid moving too much until we feel better. I'll have to look, but I should have some coffee that I can make and hopefully that will help," the fox said. Judy nodded in agreement and the fox proceeded to get out of bed, revealing his completely naked figure to the rabbit, who shielded her eyes from the sight and scolded Nick, albeit quietly and with little else movement.

"Nick! You are naked! At least warn me before marching around here without clothes on!" she said in a hushed voice, though the anger still translated perfectly.

"And like you haven't seen this before?" he said, gesturing to his body, completely unfazed by Judy's vexation.

"I can barely remember what happened last night! It's basically like the first time!" Judy scolded, still covering her eyes. Nick shook his head and began walking towards the door. He reached down and picked up his clothes from last night and turned towards the door.

"Go ahead and hop in the shower if you feel like it. I'll wait a little while and get the coffee going. I'm sure you will be fine wearing your clothes from last night, right?"

Nick didn't give Judy enough time to respond as he was already out of his room and out of her sight. The bunny leaned back against the pillow and sighed. What was originally just supposed to be an ordinary night at the bar, something that they had done plenty of times, ended up being a disaster. She had possibly ruined her relationship with Nick. They were the best of friends in and out of work and she wanted to keep it that way. She couldn't have dreamt of ruining their friendship due to her lack of control over her feelings.

One of the few things she could remember was how she confessed her love for Nick, and he had proceeded to do the same, both in a very slurred fashion. She knew one thing about her words.

She meant exactly what she said.

Since Nick was assigned to Precinct One and to be her partner, she had resisted the urge to tell him what she was feeling, all because they were irrational and unnatural. She was a rabbit. He was a fox; traditionally mortal enemies and biologically incompatible to be together in that sense. She knew that love was blind, but apparently the love in her own soul was deaf and mute, too. She couldn't possibly love Nick that way because it was just too weird, but her body didn't want to listen to the facts.

Not only was it the strangest thing she could have possibly conceived, except for some sort of fox-rabbit hybrid (Which she hoped was not the case), it was not entirely acceptable in society. It was usually a general rule of thumb that you date and explore relationships within your respective species. Some animals pushed the boundaries a bit and dated, and even mated with very closely related species, but that wasn't too common. It usually didn't last long, either, as the relationships formed along interspecies barriers were incredibly unstable due to several issues that wouldn't be faced in a more conventional relationship. The most common of which was the issue of bearing children, something that was a major part of a successful relationship that was determined to go the long haul.

Society had turned the other cheek when it came to those types of relationships. Most mammals didn't really care if closely related species dated. But for two polar opposites to be together? There was no way anyone would think of it as something natural, let alone legit. Most mammals would think that they were just out to receive attention and be in the spotlight for a few days while the whole world raved about the new brave interspecies couple that couldn't have possibly been more different. Judy giggled as she thought of all the crap that the tabloids would produce on something like that, and how it was something she would not want to be a part of.

Judy wrapped up her thoughts when she remembered what Nick had told her. She got down from his bed and picked up her wrinkled clothes from the floor. She silently padded down to the bathroom and closed the door as she prepared to take a shower.

She turned on the water and let it get to a nice and steamy temperature before she placed herself in the shower. The water felt amazing, the hot liquid soaking her fur and removing all of the impurities that found their way inside. Luckily for Judy, the shampoo that Nick used was not one that would make her smell masculine. He had taken to use a soap that neutralized strong musks and didn't have any particular scent. It wasn't what she used herself, but for now it would do just fine.

She poured some of the soap into her paws and lathered it together. She rubbed it all over her body to get her fur extra clean and then rinsed off to remove all of the bubbles. When she was thoroughly rinsed off, she stood in the cascade of the shower for a couple of minutes enjoying the water before she turned off the shower and walked out.

The towel that she used was much too large for her and was probably even a little oversized for Nick. But she _was_ able to dry herself off much faster than with her rabbit-sized towels that she used in her own apartment. She would have to consider getting some like that in the future. Judy looked down at her clothing, which were wrinkled and she could smell that they weren't fresh. It wasn't _too_ bad, but she would have much preferred if she had a fresh set. She put on her clothes and opened the door to the bathroom.

After Judy had exited the shower, Nick decided to get in as soon as possible. She gave the bathroom to him and she strode into the kitchen where the smell of coffee filled her nostrils, effectively waking her up and bringing her over to the full pot of the delicious black liquid. A cup already sat next to the pot, ready for Judy to fill with the goodness that was morning coffee. She poured the coffee into the cup slowly, taking in the sights and sounds that she usually would have taken for granted.

The delicate sloshing sound that the coffee made as it slowly filled the cup. The gentle rising steam that tickled her nose as it passed by her face. The way that a few bubbles danced around the surface until they popped and disappeared like the previous night. It all seemed so wonderful and so foreign, yet it was completely ordinary and nothing special.

She idly waited in Nick's livingroom for him to get out of the shower. She set her mug on the coffee table and let it sit for a while to cool down to a much more preferred temperature. She ventured over to the window that looked over several smaller buildings. Nick's apartment was in one of the taller buildings in the area, still nowhere near the height of Zootopia's tallest structures, but it still provided a wonderful view of some of the downtown life on a lazy Saturday morning.

On the street below, Judy could see several mammals walking on the sidewalks, as well as a few couples enjoying the nice weather. Cars moved slowly through the city streets, which was one reason that Judy had never even thought about buying a car. Her commute to work was much faster when she took the subway or walked if she was feeling up to it. Nick, on the other paw, lived too far away from the station to have walking be a viable option for transportation, so he was restrained to a short walk to the nearest subway station and a twenty-five-minute ride to the police station.

When Judy heard the sound of running water stop her ears moved towards the bathroom. She turned her body over to where Nick would be coming out from in a few minutes. She walked over to Nick's couch and sat down by her coffee and picked up the mug. She took a delicate sip and then went in for a larger gulp after deciding that it was cool enough for her to drink. Judy saw Nick go straight from the bathroom to his room, only to come out a short time later in a fresh set of clothes and a satisfied smile on his muzzle.

"Feels good to finally get clean, doesn't it?" the fox asked as he moved over to the couch and sat down next to the bunny. Her sad expression in response to his query concerned Nick, and his sunny exterior was soon shaded in worry.

"Judy, what's up? You seem sad for some reason," he said. Judy stared into her lap for a few seconds before responding.

"Nick, we need to figure things out. What happened last night… probably shouldn't have. There's a lot that we need to talk about regarding… us and what this means," Judy said. Her voice was quiet and low, hopefully telling the fox that she was completely serious and would not take any sort of joking around. Nick's expression didn't change as he responded.

"I'll be honest, I'm a bit curious as to what you're getting at. From what happened last night, it's pretty clear to me what the future holds."

"Well… I don't know. It's a stupid thought that I've been feeling for a while now. I just can't seem to get you out of my head. And I know that it sounds really weird-"

"What's weird about us being together?"

Nick's response took Judy a bit by surprise. She half expected Nick to think this would end in a typical one-night stand fashion with them never engaging in a real relationship, or probably ever be like they used to.

"Wait, do you even remember what happened at the bar last night? Because I feel like you don't remember what was said between the two of us," Judy said. Nick's features softened as he scooted closer to Judy and put his arm around her.

"Ya know, I may not be able to remember much, but I do remember what happened before we left the bar. You told me you loved me, and I said I loved you back. We may have been drunk, and I don't know if it's the same for you, but I meant every word of it, save for the part about me eating your face," Judy smiled and placed her paw over Nick's which rested on her right arm.

"I love you, Judy." The fox's words came out smoothly. He was so confident in the way he delivered because he knew what he was feeling. There were no questions about whether his feelings for Judy were just a crush or completely real.

They were as real as they got.

"I love you, too, Nick." Judy's heart was racing as she finally said those words while both of them were sober. And just like Nick, she couldn't have been any more sure about that. She wanted to be with him, but knew that there would be challenges for them to face and obstacles to overcome. It would be a difficult journey, but to Judy it would all be worth it if she was to be with the one she loved.

"So what do you say, want to give it a go? See what it's like to finally stop hiding these feelings?"

He was hopeful in the way he spoke like he was fully ready to do whatever it took to make this happen. A light smile graced his features after he asked, and in turn, Judy smiled before wrapping her arms around Nick's neck in a tender hug. Nick too wrapped his arms around Judy, holding her like she would fall if he let go.

"If it means getting shamed publicly and having to hide it from Bogo, as long as it's with you then I wouldn't want anything else," Judy whispered into Nick's ear. The two separated from the hug and Nick looked into Judy's violet orbs with copious amounts of concern.

"You're sure you want to go through all of this? You do understand that everything gets a lot harder from here, right? We can't just go out to dinner, or take a lovely stroll through the park while holding paws. People will stare, react in ways that will make you angry. People will go up to us and ask what is wrong with us. Some may even do worse things than that," Nick said, pausing before continuing with his warning. "They might throw trash at us or even spit on us, just because we love each other."

"Who cares if we get covered in trash and saliva? I want to be with you, and I'll do whatever it takes," she replied, causing Nick to chuckle a little. He patted Judy on the shoulders and then pulled her in for another hug complete with a quick and tender kiss on top of her head, right in between her ears. Nick ended the hug and sat on the couch normally, facing his television.

He left one arm around Judy and he put his left foot on his right knee, bouncing his foot to the beat of a song in his head. As the two sat in silence, a vibration drew Nick's attention to his right pocket where his phone currently rested. He promptly took out the device, looked at the screen, then his ears splayed back in horror at what he saw. Judy took notice of how he reacted and looked up at him, confused and slightly concerned.

"What's wrong, Nick? Are you already having second thoughts?" she asked jokingly. Nick shook his head slowly with wide eyes, staring straight at the opposite wall.

"I just got a text…" he said quietly. "It's from Tanya. She's in the lobby right now and wants me to come down…"

"Did she say why?" Judy asked.

"Nope… but I'll bet it has to do with how we ditched her last night..." Nick replied simply.

"Are you gonna go down there?" Judy asked.

"Yeah," Nick said, nodding his head up and down a little. "But I don't think you should go with me. I have a feeling that might be a dead giveaway. You'll have to stay up here for the time being," Nick said. He really didn't want to leave Judy alone in his apartment, but it seemed like they didn't have much of a choice unless they wanted to get found out.

"I suppose as long as it's only for a few minutes that will be fine," Judy pointed at Nick with one of her fingers. "Just make it quick. I don't want to be waiting up here for hours without knowing when you'll be back." Nick smiled as he got up from the couch.

"Don't you worry your little head off, Carrots. I'll tell her that you were tired so we left, I brought you home, and then I went home and went to bed. I'll be back up in five minutes." Nick was strangely confident about that last part, but Judy remained a little skeptical.

Still seeing that there was no other option if they wanted to keep their fresh relationship a secret among their peers, Judy got comfortable on the couch and reached for the television remote as Nick moved towards the door. He opened his front door and paused to look back at the bunny sitting on his couch, currently watching a morning show all about celebrity gossip.

As he turned back to the door, Nick was trying to figure out how lucky he had gotten.

He had felt feelings for Judy quite a bit in the last few months. On several occasions, he wanted to talk to her about them, but he never mustered the courage to because he didn't know how she felt about him. Now that everything was said and done, he felt like a little bit of a coward for not saying something sooner. But he and everyone else knew how the phrase went.

Better late than never.

* * *

 **A/N: Ooooooo, Nick's in trouble!**

 **And there you have it, folks! This is indeed a Wilde/Hopps story. I know some of you were a little bit skeptical about that aspect, but now it's official. I may have done some terrible things to those two in my previous stories, but I want to try my hands at some feel-good stuff for once ;)**

 **I was super pleased to see this story be so well received, save for your gripes about Tanya. It honestly blew me away at how many of you told me how much you liked it. It made me feel good inside, which is something that I haven't had a whole lot of recently due to my dealing with loss. I just want to let you guys know that I greatly appreciate everything that you've done by reviewing, following, favoriting. It may not seem like much to you, but it means the world to me. It puts a smile on my face every time I see a new review or a follow or favorite :)**

 **And with that being said, don't forget to leave a review, follow, or favorite! I love them all and I love you all!**

 **Cheers!**

 **-Ande**


	3. That Didn't Last Long

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm glad to finally get you the third chapter of Pieces! A lot goes on, and you'll finally understand why I created Tanya's character. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll let you read and definitely don't forget to let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

* * *

Nick rode quietly in the smaller elevator designed to carry passengers no larger than a wolf. His apartment being on the thirteenth floor made the ride last longer than most, giving him a little more time to think about what he was going to say to Tanya when he met her in the lobby.

Of course, he was going to apologize to her. He knew that he wouldn't want to get ditched at a bar. He may have been incredibly intoxicated and didn't know what he was doing, but that didn't mean he didn't have anything to apologize for. His lack of self-control was the real reason that happened.

He also knew that he was going to explain what happened after they left. According to him, he took Judy home and then went to his apartment and went to bed.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

While it was a blatant lie, it was necessary if he wanted to keep things the way he and Judy wanted them for the time being. Despite his past, Nick didn't really like lying all that much anymore. He preferred the honest and truthful lifestyle over the life of a common street hustler.

Nick felt his body pushed slightly into the floor as the elevator slowed to a stop at the ground level where the lobby was located. A delicate and high-pitched ding emanated from a speaker near the ceiling and the door slid open, allowing Nick to walk out, and a few others to get in. Nick looked about the lobby and found Tanya leaning against the wall, holding today's paper under her arm and tapping her foot as she waited, apparently a little impatient. The cat looked up from the floor and caught sight of the fox.

And she did not look happy to see him.

Nick instantly noticed how she gave him the most fleeting glimpse of her sharp fangs and how her eyes remained narrowed at him as the two gradually became closer and closer each passing second. Nick's ears twitched nervously while Tanya's twitched angrily, her slightly hunched over figure looking as though she were ready to attack. As the two were within a reasonable distance, Nick tried his best to address her.

"Look, Tanya. I know that I-"

 _THUMP!_

Nick's paw shot up to the top of his head where the caracal's rolled up newspaper had just hit with incredible force. When Nick looked back up at her, her features had softened up a bit. Apparently hitting Nick was satisfying for her and allowed her to release a bit of anger.

"You know that you're an ass-face?" the caracal said a little too loudly, right as a donkey in a three-piece suit walked by, giving her the stink eye. As he passed, she looked back at him and mouthed sorry.

"Yes, I was a complete idiot. We left you at Miranda's. But in my defense, I was about as drunk as I've ever been. There was no telling what I was going to do last night." Nick defended. Tanya's shoulders slumped a little bit, knowing that was the truth of the matter.

"I know. It probably couldn't be helped, but…" the caracal suddenly got even more vexed than before.

"You're still a moron!" she yelled, swatting at Nick several times with her newspaper. Nick held up his arms to prevent his face from being bludgeoned and yelled at her to stop the assault.

"Alright, enough! I get it! I was stupid, and I'm sorry about that, ok?" Tanya stopped hitting Nick with her paper and looked at him with a slightly guilty expression. "I let you hit me. Feel better now?" The fox asked. There was a moment of hesitation before Tanya gave him one last albeit weak swat on top of his head for good measure.

"Yes. I feel better, _and_ I forgive you, alright. We good?"

Nick looked Tanya in her golden eyes and they both extended their paws at the same time, meeting in between the two for a firm pawshake.

"We're good, Kasten," Nick said cooly. He let go of the pawshake and very nearly started turning around.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to in my apartment," The fox started walking away, but Tanya quickly grabbed the collar of his shirt, preventing him from walking any further and choking him at the same time.

"I don't think so, fox-trot. You're not getting off the hook that easily. It just so happens that I haven't eaten anything yet today and I'm quite famished. We're getting something to eat so that you can tell me all about the night you had, and then you can be on your merry way. Sound good?" the caracal said as she got menacingly close to Nick's ears, still having his collar and cutting off his airways. When the only response she got was his struggle to get air, she tightened her grasp.

"Sound good?!" she threatened. The fox nodded up and down in a quick manner, eager to get oxygen back to his lungs. Tanya let go of Nick's collar and the fox inhaled deeply and quickly to catch his breath, leaning over and putting his paws on his knees. Tanya began walking towards the doors to Nick's building.

"Can't I at least go up to my apartment to grab my wallet?" Nick asked. The only reason that he wanted to go up to his apartment was to tell Judy was what happening and that she needed to leave, but he wasn't going to get the chance.

"Nope. I'll pay. You just follow me or I'll be more than happy to hit you again."

 _Not good…_ Nick thought. Judy was going to be wondering what was taking him so long, and he was just going to have to wait until he had a good chance to text her what was currently happening to him. Just as Nick was about to take off towards the elevator he felt Tanya's rather large paws grab him by the back of his shirt and began pulling him farther away from his intended destination.

The caracal and fox walked in utter silence to the cafe just down the street, Nick with an angry frown upon his face as he was towed along against his will. Tanya seemed none the wiser to how Nick was acting, and he noticed how she seemed to completely ignore his discomfort with the situation. The two entered the small street-corner cafe, which at the moment was rather deserted save for an otter couple that sat together near one of the few windows.

Tanya led Nick to a table and she sat down, but Nick did not. He looked around for a second before turning to Tanya.

"I've gotta go to the bathroom really quick… I'll be back in-"

"Just go. Spare me the details," Tanya said while waving him off. Nick quickly took off towards the restroom. Walking inside the echoey room, Nick shut the door behind him and locked it, making sure that no one else would come in while he was there. Nick stopped leaning on the door and pulled out his phone, briskly dialing Judy's number. He listened and only a second later she picked up.

" _Nick!? What the heck is going on!? I thought you would be back in five minutes!"_

"Ok, I know I said that, but Tanya sorta kidnapped me," Nick said. He could hear Judy sigh on the other end before she spoke once more.

" _What is that supposed to mean?"_

"She dragged me to that cafe just down the street from my apartment so that we could talk about last night. You should probably leave now while you have the chance. There's a spare key underneath the doormat-"

" _Nick, what are you-"_

"Just listen to me. Now is the best chance you will have without being seen by Tanya, or with me. Go now. The subway is four blocks north of my place." Nick said hastily and in a hushed voice. Judy hesitated, apparently a bit uneasy about sneaking out of Nick's apartment.

" _Alright. Is Tanya upset about last night?"_

"Yeah, and rightfully so. But she's not as bad as I thought. Give her the weekend to fully cool off and she'll be back to normal by Monday. Now, I gotta go. I've already been away from her too long. She's gonna be wondering what took me so long in the bathroom," Nick said. He could hear Judy laugh over the phone.

" _Ok, Slick. I'll see you later?"_

"Yeah,"

Nick wasn't sure what possessed him to say his next words. He hadn't even given it an ounce of thought; they just came out of his mouth as easily as any other words.

"I love you,"

The brief moment of hesitation that stood between the two over the phone was enough to make Nick think he had just screwed up big-time. Judy's affectionate voice brought all of his confidence back in one simple phrase that he was overjoyed to hear.

" _I love you, too, Nick. Bye bye!"_

And then she hung up, not giving him the chance to respond. As he lowered the phone from his ear, a smile slowly crept its way onto Nick's muzzle. It finally felt good for him to say those three words to someone that he really, truly did love. It was just so unfortunate that he had to love someone of an entirely different species. And to most, that was how it would seem.

Unfortunate.

But Nick saw it a different way. He saw it as a new opportunity to try something that had never been done before, and possibly open the road to more animals embracing their true feelings. If he could be a part of the beginning for interspecies couples all over the city, or even all over the world, to be a beacon of hope for them, it would possibly be the greatest feeling in the world.

Ever since he became a police officer, he started to share Judy's dream of making the world a better place. If this was the beginning of a new era, Nick was more than happy to be the catalyst and make the world a better place for those like him and Judy.

Nick replaced his phone back in his pocket and walked out of the restroom, meandering back to the table where Tanya was patiently waiting, already having received two glasses of water for the two of them. She was looking over the excellent selection that the cafe had to offer for breakfast items, her eyes wandering over the whole menu, but consistently moving back towards an omelet loaded with peppers, onions, and cheese. Nick sat down without saying a word and Tanya simply watched the fox pick up his menu and begin searching. She looked him over, instantly noticing that he was acting differently.

Before, he was grumpy having been dragged along by her. Now he seemed happy and content with his current situation. Deciding not to press the issue, she went back to the menu and concluded that she would be ordering the omelet.

When the waiter came back to the table, Tanya ordered the omelet and Nick ordered a plate of waffles with a side of hash browns.

As the two waited for their food to arrive, they did not speak to each other. They just awkwardly sat, every once in awhile taking a sip from their water. Nick knew that Tanya wanted to talk to Nick about last night, but he saw no reason why that couldn't have been done in the lobby of his apartment building. There was another reason that she brought him here.

"Something tells me that there is a reason you dragged me to this place. Am I right or am I right?" Nick said. Tanya wasn't going to lie to Nick. She did have something that she wanted to do.

"You're right. I just wanted to talk to you about last night."

"That's it?" Nick asked.

"That's it," Tanya replied.

"Go on."

"Well, I suppose our first order of business is whether you remember anything or not," the caracal said.

"It's all pretty fuzzy. But after a certain point I've got nothing," Nick replied.

"Well, start with us getting to Miranda's and go from there. I want to know everything that you remember so that I can fill you in." Nick rubbed his chin as he recollected the previous night.

"Well, we arrived at Miranda's. You and Judy grabbed our usual booth. Judy went to get us drinks and came back with three scotch and sodas. She had too many. I had too many. We engaged in very inebriated conversation, which I imagine was quite interesting,"

"It was about the funniest thing I've ever seen," Tanya added. The next part of Nick's recollection was a complete and blatant lie.

"And that's it. I don't remember anything after that."

"So you don't remember me going off to the bathroom, leaving you two alone which was probably a mistake due to what I found when I got back."

"Please fill me in," Nick said, knowing very well what she was going to say.

"You two had left. I got back to the booth, expecting to find a fox and a bunny either still enjoying your conversation if you could even call it that…"

The next part of what Tanya had to say was perhaps Nick's worst nightmare.

"...or sucking face with each other. You were so drunk I was half expecting the latter," Tanya said, looking at Nick with a look that said, 'I'm on to you, fox.'

Nick tried his best to remain calm, but he could feel a slight blush begin to form on his cheeks, the heat from the blood rushing to his face causing him to feel uncomfortable. He wiggled in his seat as he made a poor attempt to laugh and have it sound genuine.

"That's h-hilarious. It would have just been too weird if that was the case… which is totally not the case…" Nick said, mumbling the last part of his sentence. The fox cursed internally at his terrible execution. Sure, he was out of the hustling game, but it had only been a year since he stopped. He didn't expect his mask to have been worn down so much that he broke so easily when under pressure.

Tanya noticed how nervous Nick got when she said that. She was beginning to think that her skepticisms were true. She needed to play things right if she wanted to get more out of Nick.

"I know, right? I mean, imagine if you two went home together! That would just be weird, wouldn't it?"

This time Nick managed to regain most of his composure, but he knew that the damage had already been done.

"Yeah, that would have been. I guess it will all just be something that could have happened but never did. Although I think that last night is going to be something that we look back on in twenty or so years and laugh at-"

"Oh just shut it, foxy. You really think I don't know what happened last night?" Tanya said, standing up, putting her paws on the table, leaning towards Nick and getting in his face. Nick was so taken aback by the sudden aggression that all he could do was gulp.

"It's pretty obvious, really. You two both leave while I was in the bathroom. Where do I instantly think you would have gone? One of your apartments, that's for sure! And with you two being so drunk, it's even more obvious what happened once you got to said apartment! And now you're just trying to play this off as if nothing happened and we all are going to live life like we used to. Not on my watch! And what do you think I'm going to say about it?"

Nick was leaning back in his chair farther than he would have liked, but Tanya continued to get even closer to Nick's muzzle with each interjection, causing him to move farther away from her. This led to his chair being on the back two legs, only a few more inches of movement from him falling backward. Nick held up a paw with one finger pointed upwards, but he was interrupted before he could get his first word out.

"I'm so happy for you guys!"

"What…? Ahhh!" Nick screamed as his chair finally reached the literal tipping point and he fell backward onto the floor of the empty cafe. Tanya's paws shot up to her mouth to cover her half-gasp, half-laugh as she walked around the table to help Nick off the floor. She grabbed his paw and pulled him up, Nick brushing himself off.

"So, what do you mean you're happy for us?" Nick asked. Even though Tanya had pretty much gotten the rest of last night's events exactly right, Nick still had to try and play it the way that he wanted it.

"Oh, quit trying to deny it, Nick. I know that you hooked up with Judy last night. I've been rooting for you two secretly ever since you joined Precinct One, and now you're finally a thing! It's so exciting!"

The caracal bounced up and down with joy, bringing a smile to Nick's lips. But one thing took that smile away from him in a heartbeat. Judy wanted their relationship to be a secret between the two of them.

It no longer was.

But the more Nick thought about it, the more he thought this was a good idea that Tanya knew. She wanted them to be together, so it would make sense that she wouldn't do anything to split them apart.

"Ok, fine. Yes, we're are a thing now. But…" Nick said, holding up a finger to stop the cat from getting any more excited. "... you have to keep this a secret. We decided this morning that we didn't want anyone to know besides me and her. You have to promise not to tell anyone or try and hint to others. If it were to get spread around the precinct, Bogo would definitely find out and we would get separated. I don't want that, Judy doesn't want that, and I know you wouldn't want that, either."

"You don't need to convince me. I wasn't going to say anything to anyone. Your secret's safe with me," Tanya said, placing her paw on Nick's shoulder and then surprising the fox by pulling him into a hug. Rather than the gesture being awkward, Nick felt that it was appropriate and gave into it willingly. After a few seconds, the two separated, Nick looked at Tanya with a little bit of concern in his eyes.

"Ya know, I don't really know what to do from here. I'm excited that we're finally together, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't really know how to act. If at all possible, I want to shield Judy from any hate directed towards us. She told me that she was prepared to take it, but I don't really think she understands what's at stake, here."

"You want her to be as happy as she would be on any normal day."

"Exactly. I mean, it would break my heart if she got upset over something like that. If there's one thing I definitely don't want to do, that would be making her upset."

Nick could be annoying at some times, and according to Judy, saying he was annoying was an understatement. Though his picking on her was all in good fun and part of his charm, he never had the nerve to actually upset her. In the year that he'd known her, he had never truly angered her, minus, of course, the first couple days that they knew of each other's existence where he was fairly positive he managed to get to her.

And since then, Nick had become completely different. Thanks to Judy, he was quite a bit softer than before because she showed him how to care for others again. Years ago, Nick was rather harsh in his words, something that was required of him due to his means of making money. There was no room for true emotions when he was hustling someone. Nowadays he would be considered so out of practice that he would never truly be able to be like he once was.

And that was just fine with him.

Tanya smiled at Nick.

"She's lucky, ya know that? I think I know why she fell in love with you. You're all about her. You don't want _her_ to get hurt. It seems like you could care less about what happens to you.

"Well, I've seen how cruel the world can be, so I know what to expect. She's still so oblivious to the real world. A part of me feels bad for her, but the more rational part just wants to help her figure things out."

"But do you really think that seeing the terrors the world can produce will help her?" Nick looked down at the table and sighed.

"Honestly, I have no idea. It sounds terrible to do that, but I think I need to. She needs to know that the world isn't nearly as wonderful as she sees it, but at the same time, her vision is so idealistic that it makes me feel better about what happened in my own past, the things that led me to hate and despise the very planet that gives life to us all," Nick said. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them before snickering erupted from Tanya. A harsh frown made it's way to Nick's muzzle as he crossed his arms in disgust.

"What's so funny?" he said tersely. Tanya spoke after finally regaining composure.

"I'm sorry, Nick. What you said was wonderful, but about as cheesy as it comes. But a word of advice, don't try and control every aspect of your relationship with Judy. There are things that you can control, and things that you can't. The way people react to you two is one of those uncontrollable aspects. Let them do what they do, and you two can figure things out from there. It's how I and my fiance have been together for so long without any major hiccups."

"Wait, you're getting married? Since when?" Nick asked.

"In a few months. You should be getting an RSVP in the mail pretty soon. Make sure you check that you're bringing a guest," Tanya said with a wink. The two laughed a little for a few seconds before silence fell over them. Nick was the one that broke the silence.

"So… you think we should take things as they come?"

Tanya shook her head up and down.

"I guess that would be smart. I really don't want to screw this up. It would make things quite awkward the next time we saw each other at work," Nick said, his paw finding its way to the back of his neck.

"Yeah, and one more thing," Nick removed his paw from the back of his neck and looked intently at Tanya. "I like Judy a lot. If I find out that you broke her heart, I will find you and bring about a thousand years of pain and sorrow to you and all of your potential offspring."

Just as Tanya finished threatening Nick, the waiter came by with their food, the smell of which caused both of them to lose focus on their conversation and begin devouring the delicious breakfast that the cafe provided.

Within a short amount of time, both the fox and caracal had finished their meals, very satisfied and with no room for any more. Nick, however, walked over to a large display case, showing off several desserts and pastries and picked out half of a blueberry pie for later. Since Nick was unable to pay due to the absence of his wallet, he told Tanya that he would be refunding her generosity fully on Monday. She made sure that he knew she would not accept anything from him, but Nick still insisted that he pay her for the surprise breakfast.

Nick and Tanya parted ways, the caracal back to her apartment, and Nick the short distance back to his own and with his pie in tow. By the time Nick began his journey back everything seemed a little bit brighter than it should have. The sun was shining wondrously, it's heat beating down on Nick and warming his fur. It was still a little bit cool outside, but feeling the summer sun on his fur was just the thing he needed to bring his natural smile to his face.

Walking back inside his apartment, Nick went straight towards the elevator. He waited for a few seconds, idly whistling a song until the door opened up, revealing a completely empty elevator. He got in and pressed the button for his floor and rode up to his apartment alone.

A ding sounded and the elevator opened back up, allowing for Nick to get out and walk down the hall a short distance to his apartment. Nick reached into his pocket for his keys, pulled them out and unlocked his door. He opened it up and found something slightly upsetting about the state of his home. The television was still on as well as several of the lights. There was a bowl of cereal on the end table next to his couch, still filled partially with milk and corn flakes. But there was one detail that he did not see until he had already been inside for more than a minute.

A pair of gray, furry ears sticking up over the back of the couch.

And just as he was about to speak, Judy turned around and looked over the back of the couch, smiled brightly and ran over to him.

"You're back!" Judy exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Nick's abdomen. The fox lifted his arms up a little and looked down upon the rabbit, taken aback by her presence.

"Yes, I'm back. This is my apartment. May I ask what you're still doing here?"

Judy let go of Nick and looked him straight in the eye.

"Is it bad that I'm still here? Because I would have thought that you'd be happy to see me." Judy said, cocking her hip to one side. Nick gulped as he walked over to the counter to set his pie down.

"Believe me, Carrots. I'm happy that you're still here. I'm just a little bit confused is all. I figured after our phone conversation you would have left."

"Well, forgive me for wanting to spend more time with you," Judy said, getting extra close to Nick and letting her paws explore his torso. "I figured you would want to do the same," she said in a rather flirtatious tone. Nick smiled as he looked down at Judy. In one swift motion, he lifted her up, causing Judy to let out a squeak of excitement. She wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck. They were eye to eye, enjoying the sights before them when Nick moved closer. His eyes closed as Judy's did and they came together for a passionate kiss.

Nick felt all of the furs on his body stand on end as a wave of dopamine flooded his veins. Before they got too carried away, Nick moved away from the kiss, mouth still open slightly and eyes still closed. Judy's nose found Nick's chest and she buried her face in the little bit of fur that was exposed, taking in his scent and getting into a rather comfortable position. It was soon after that the rabbit let out a tiny yawn.

"I could fall asleep right here," she said in a hushed voice. Nick did not respond, but he walked over to the couch where he lay down, holding the love of his life in his arms. He rubbed her back in soft, linear motions, causing Judy to hum in satisfaction. Little did Nick know, his actions were slowly rocking the rabbit to sleep, and his full stomach had the same effect on him. In a matter of minutes, the two of them were both sound asleep, and both of them knew they would rather be with no one else.

* * *

 **A/N: See? I told you she was going to have an important role. She is the one mammal that was actually rooting for them, which should hopefully encourage Nick and Judy to be a little more open about their relationship than they originally planned.**

 **But next chapter is going to be interesting. Did anyone notice that Nick never got the chance to tell Judy about what happened? I wonder how Judy will react?**

 **As always, I really want to hear your thoughts on the story. I put a lot of hard work into this, and one of the reasons that I put my work out there is to make sure that I'm getting better. I can't know for sure unless you tell me how I'm doing. It would be a dream of mine to some day publish a novel, so this is the first step towards that dream of mine. Help me achieve that dream and leave a review!**

 **Of course, thank you so much for reading. Don't forget to follow and favorite if you already haven't, and I'll see you next chapter!**

 **Cheers!**

 **-Ande**

 **PS: Also, I am starting to work on a pretty big project. I am co-authoring for a story, one that I read and really enjoyed as just an ordinary reader. I got to know the author quite well and he asked me to help him finish it since he is unable to do so by himself. I won't tell you what it is, but I'm sure you've heard of it and you'll find out when its next chapter comes out, hopefully, pretty soon.**

 **That being said, I'm currently trying to juggle three stories, school, and work. I'm very busy, and I can thank God that Powerlifting is not in season right now, otherwise, I'd be taking a break from writing for a little while. Obviously, At A Moment's Notice is almost over and I only have a couple chapters left to get out to you. When that happens things will clear up a little and I'll be able to work more on the co-author and Pieces. But for now, updates are probably going to be less frequent. Don't think this means there will be nothing for months at a time, though. It will still be around two weeks per update, but expect some to be even longer, more like three weeks, tops.**


	4. It was Three Months Later

**A/N: Hey guys! Great to finally be back with another chapter of _Pieces_! Big stuff in this one! I'll not keep you waiting any longer, though. Enjoy!**

* * *

Like the changing of the seasons, everything seems to come and go. Some things would be missed, only to return a short time later. Others make people happy when they leave, and anger when they return. But in the end, someone is never happy with change.

We tend to avoid events that would change the sands of time. When in a comfortable position, we do whatever we can to keep things the way they are and avoid anything that could make life a little different. It could only be called the path of least resistance, and for some reason, everyone seems to gravitate towards that option.

But those who do never amount to anything. Risk-takers are those who take a path less traveled and are attracted to change. They aren't comfortable in the same position for too long and need new experiences or else they go insane.

As summer turned into fall, the world seemed to be completely at peace. Well, it wasn't completely at peace, but whenever something good is happening it always feels that way.

Weddings bring out the best and worst in all of us. A ceremony all about celebrating love and commitment is the best way to bring everyone together despite any past quarrels or disputes.

But it gets us thinking about things. Things that might tear good things apart.

For Nick, tonight was about studying. He wanted to see what a wedding was supposed to be like so that when his finally came around, he would know what to do, and even more importantly, what _not_ to do.

Judy was just trying to make it through the night. She had been to countless weddings in her lifetime, and needless to say, she found them to be rather boring and cliché. She didn't hate them, per sé, but she wasn't all that excited to be there.

Weddings bring out the best and the worst in us.

Over the last three months, Nick and Judy had been engaged in a secretive relationship with the only other knowledgeable mammal being the bride herself, and it had been a very smooth three months for them. There hadn't been a single scare as to whether they would be found out and life felt like a dream to them.

The bunny grumbled as she and Nick entered the reception hall. Nick looked at her grumpy expression and had to resist the urge to laugh out loud.

It was like a dream to one of them...

"I don't know how you don't like weddings, Carrots. I even like them. They're fun!" the fox cheered.

"You haven't been to as many as I have," Judy mentioned. "Back home there is a wedding almost every week. 106 of my siblings have already gotten married, and think about all of the other families that my parents do business with. It ends up being a lot."

"How many does that make?"

"I lost count a while ago, but I'd put the number around three or four hundred, probably way more. And those are just the ones I went to. I've been invited to thousands."

After hearing that, Nick wasn't all that surprised that she wasn't a fan of weddings.

The fox took a moment to take in the sights of the reception hall. It was a massive room, probably close to the size of the ZPD lobby, that was decorated in the colors of gray and pink. Gray and pink balloons flew high above all of the tables that were strung with gray and pink streamers along the edges.

The lighting was dim, creating a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere that allowed for complete isolation from any problems and let you live in the moment. Upon entering, the greater majority of the room was filled with tables for guests. The left side held the table for the wedding party and the right side hosted the open bar, a place that Nick was going to try and keep Judy away from. In between all of that was a wonderfully spacious dance floor that unsurprisingly had bouquets of gray and pink balloons at each corner.

Nick and Judy navigated in and out of the several circular tables until they found the one right in front of the head table that held two name tags, one for each of them. They took to sit down and rest for a second, Nick taking the time to look at his partner.

She sat cross-legged and looked off into the distance. Her pink dress hugged her curvaceous form tightly and ended right above her knees. Around her neck was a necklace of perfect and shiny pearls that gleamed even in the dim lighting. Her fur seemed to do the same, it's wonderfully shiny luster intoxicated him and glued his eyes to her. Nick couldn't believe that they were really together even if it had already been three months.

"You look amazing," Nick said. Judy turned and smiled at him, adding in a subtle wink.

"Not too bad yourself, Slick."

Her saying that was an understatement. Nick looked the part of a billionaire in his tuxedo. He wore a plain white dress shirt on the bottom layer and a pale pink vest was worn over it. A gray double-breasted jacket finished off the brilliantly tailored vestment. To top it all off, a gray bowtie matching the color of the wedding rested tightly against Nick's throat, but not so tight that it choked him. It was the perfect combination of formality and comfort. Plus, he looked simply irresistible.

Nick slid his chair closer and moved his muzzle down to her level, catching her gaze and not letting her go.

"Is that really what you think?" he said with a smile.

Judy rubbed the nape of her neck and wore a guilty expression. "No. I want to guard you against any available female that walks in here. You may not have the greatest taste when it comes to casual, but you sure can pull off formal."

He whispered into her ear. "And that's why I love you." His quiet and low voice caused her to shudder and giggle as she playfully swatted him away. As Nick got situated in his chair, a waiter came by and set a pitcher of water on their table, as well as a bottle of champagne. Nick reached for the bottle, popped the cork, and poured the bubbly liquid into each of their glasses. Nick switched the bottle for his glass and held it up.

"Here's to us." Judy brought her glass up by Nick's.

"To us," she added.

With a smile and a slight flick of the wrist, both of their glasses clinked together and they each took a small sip. Nick set his glass down and brought his right foot onto his knee and leaned back in his chair.

As the two sat idly sipping from their glasses of champagne, they received a long-awaited visit from the couple of the hour. Tanya had in tow her husband of only about an hour, the male caracal that they had only heard about from Tanya herself. Finally getting to see him with their own eyes for the first time, it was a little bit of a shock seeing how much larger he was than Tanya. He was at least a foot taller than her.

"Guys, I'm so excited that you finally get to meet Graham!" Tanya turned to her husband. "I've told them so much about you!"

"Oh, isn't that so?" Graham said in a mid-range baritone voice. Seemingly hitting it off with Nick and Judy right away, he leaned in close and spoke in a mildly hushed voice.

"Over-sold me already, hasn't she?"

"No, I'd say under-sold," Nick said sarcastically. "She really hasn't said all that much. Oh, by the way, Graham, how did that surgery go last week? I heard you were going to attempt a frontal lobotomy."

In truth, Tanya had spoken so much about Graham in the last few months that they pretty much knew all about him except for what he looked like. They knew that he was a well-respected neurosurgeon that worked for one of the best hospitals in the city. And for the last three months, Tanya had gone non-stop about nearly every personal aspect of their relationship, making it seem like they knew Graham when they really didn't.

"Successful. It's really not all that risky like it was back in the 30's when the first one was performed by Almeida Llama using alcohol injections that—"

"Alright, honey, that's enough. You know that nobody really cares about the history of brain surgeries except for you," Tanya said jokingly. Graham showed an expression of sadness after being interrupted by his wife. Nick and Judy both let out small chuckles.

"Don't worry, Graham. You aren't the only one," Judy said. "I actually found it to be quite interesting." Judy stared daggers at Tanya when she spoke her last sentence, and the female caracal rolled her eyes.

"See?" Graham said, gesturing to Judy with his paws. "I'm not the only one. Thank you for expressing interest in the things I'm passionate about."

"That's not what I was getting at Graham. I just didn't want this to end up like our first date."

Nick and Judy both looked at each other with smiles, knowing that one of them had to ask what that first date was like. Giving Nick a quick and discreet wink, Judy turned towards Tanya and asked the fateful question.

"And what happened on your first date?" Judy asked. Tanya sighed, briefly holding back a huge grin while her counterpart wore a frown.

"Well, we were having dinner at a nice restaurant and we were still getting to know each other. He asked what I did, and I told him a _little bit_ about being a police officer," she said, emphasizing that she only explained a little bit. "My mistake came when I asked him what he did."

"Please don't—"

"He spent the rest of the night talking my ears off about being a surgeon. I might have gotten a few sentences in after that, but that was it." Tanya knew that she had succeeded in embarrassing her husband, but in typical Tanya style, she wasn't finished just yet.

"Ok, I think you've gotten your point—"

"But even though the first date wasn't perfect, I gave him another chance. And the rest is history," Tanya looked lovingly into his eyes and spoke softly so that only the four of them could hear. "I can't imagine life without him."

Graham and Tanya both smiled before they came together for a quick and tender kiss. Judy's heart nearly melted at the sight and she had to use all of her strength to not 'aww' out loud. Nick was nearly as bad as Judy, and she thought she saw him wipe away a tear from his eyes. When the kiss was finished, Graham turned to the fox and rabbit.

"So, what's your story, you two? First rabbit cop partnered up with the first fox cop. It must be a good one!"

Judy told Graham the story of how the met, emphasizing the fact that they didn't like each other in the beginning. She went through all of the steps that led them to Cliffside Hospital and finding all fourteen missing mammals. She told him about how she technically quit the force and went back home for a couple of months, only to realize what was causing all of the savage predators and go back. She left out the parts of her realizing that Nick had turned into a bit of a crush back then, only to have those feelings grow larger and burst forth that fateful night.

"Wow. Someone should make a movie about that! I'd definitely watch it!"

The quartet of mammals laughed for a few seconds before silence fell upon the whole of the group. Suddenly, they all felt their noses twitch as a barrage of scents filled their noses. Tanya and Graham looked to the opposite side of the reception hall where workers in fine vestments had just finished setting up the catering for the evening.

"I think we're going to get something to eat. I haven't had anything all day!" Tanya exclaimed. "We'll talk with you later, I'm sure. See ya!"

And with that, Tanya and Graham walked away to get their long-awaited food. Being the bride and groom, they didn't have to wait to be dismissed to the line like everyone else. Nick figured they could get away with just about anything short of cold-blooded murder tonight. Having said their temporary farewells to the couple, Nick and Judy sat back in their seats and casually continued sipping their champagne.

"Tonight is going to be great," Nick said in between sips. "I haven't been to a wedding in so long. I kinda forgot how much fun they were."

Judy lowered her glass from her lips, letting out a contented sigh before addressing Nick's comment.

"As much as I dislike the actual ceremony, I think the receptions are a good time."

"And think about how much planning had to go into tonight. One might think that would ruin it all for Tanya and Graham, but I think it's the best sort of pay-off," Nick said.

"I don't know," Judy said, scrunching her face in a way that meant she disagreed. "I don't think I could ever plan a wedding. It just seems like too much work to me, ya know?"

The truth was, Nick couldn't see it Judy's way. He knew that she wasn't the biggest fan of weddings, and for an alright reason, but he still thought she was a bit irrational in her mild hatred of the heart-warming event.

"No, not really," he said simply. Judy set her glass of champagne down on the table and looked Nick squarely in the eyes.

Judy asked in a curious tone, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think weddings are well worth all of the planning and struggle to get it all right. If it means getting to be with the one you love for the rest of your days, then I say it's worth a little bit of stress."

"I suppose, but I guess I never wanted to get married."

Nick felt his heart drop into a dark abyss. He never dreamed that she would say something like that. A small part of him thought that was maybe leftover from when she was younger and her parents still tried to get her to settle down with a buck rather than go off to the big city and be a cop.

"So no matter who asked you, you would say no just because you don't want to get married?" Nick asked a little bit snarkily. Judy could tell he was not taking the news too well. It might have been her fault for not talking about it, but she figured it would never happen, at least not anytime soon. They would have a hard enough time just trying to find someone to perform the ceremony.

"Nick, did you really think that we could get married someday?"

He couldn't respond to that. Ever since they started dating, Nick felt like he might want to marry her someday. It was just the way that he felt, and usually, when two people love each other, marriage is in their future. It was just how things worked with any normal couple, but of course, Nick and Judy were not normal. To some, they were unnatural and disgusting, but that didn't mean they didn't love each other like normal people.

"I'm sorry for at least having hope. I just figured that maybe it would happen some day."

"Well, don't think it's because of you. I _never_ want to get married to anyone, whether you or some buck.

"Let me guess. You never want to have kits either?"

Judy shook her head side to side, and Nick's heart fell even deeper.

"Nope. I just didn't feel like going through what my parents did raising 275 children. I don't have the time to raise children when I work all the time."

Nick rubbed his paws through the fur on top of his head in frustration and sighed.

"How did we not know this about each other? I mean, did you ever want to go the long haul, have this last forever?" Judy scooted forward in her chair and placed her paw on Nick's arm. This was the weakest their relationship had been since it began, and she could tell that Nick was feeling the same way.

"Oh, Nick. Of course, I do. I love you more than anything in the world. You can't let a couple of little things get in the way of us-"

"Little things?" Nick snapped, eyes narrowing. He had to resist every urge not to bare his fangs, otherwise, things would get even uglier in a split second. "Marriage and children are not little things! They are huge steps in a relationship, steps that I wanted to achieve someday. I want to get married. I want to have kits, whether that means adopting or not."

Judy understood what he was going through. They hadn't communicated enough, and it may have ruined what they had going. Because of the way they rushed things, she felt inclined to speak a phrase she never thought would come out of her mouth so soon.

"We have an expiration date, don't we?"

The words hurt as she uttered them because she knew that they were true. It may not be for a while, but she was certain that eventually Nick would feel held back from what he desired. She wasn't going to change for him, and he wasn't going to change for her. If either of them did, they would come to regret it when they were old.

Nick knew what he had to say. It wasn't going to be easy to admit defeat when there wasn't a foreseeable end, but he knew that it would come eventually. As he was about to open his mouth and speak, a familiar voice broke the silence that stood between Nick and Judy and ruined the moment that they were having.

"Oh… M… Goodness! You two look absolutely adorable together! You even match! That had to be planned out!"

Clawhauser's cheeriness had almost put a smile on both of their faces, but due to the circumstances, they barely cracked a weak grin.

"I hate to break it to you, Clawhauser. Pink and gray are the colors of the wedding. Everyone who cares is going to be in those colors." Clawhauser looked down at his own tuxedo where he too had a pink vest, but a regular tie in the same gray as Nick's bowtie.

"Oh… right…. But you still look great together! I love your dress, Judy!"

"Thanks, Clawhauser," she said, nervously rubbing the back of her head. From behind the cheetah, the hulking form of Chief Bogo appeared, and he looked as he usually did, grumpy and unhappy that he had to be anywhere. As little emotion that the buffalo showed, the way that his arms rested at his sides rather than crossed over his chest showed that he was content rather than annoyed.

"Chief," Nick stated.

"Wilde, Hopps… please come with me. There is something that we need to discuss."

Chief Bogo walked away, turning his back to the fox and the rabbit he summoned. The two of them looked at each other nervously before following directly behind him. Bogo led them through a small corridor lined with many doors, each one identical to the other. At the far end of the corridor, Bogo opened the door to his left and invited them into the room.

They entered, confused as to why Bogo would need to speak with them alone. In a way, it unnerved both of them. Neither of the two could think of any reason for an approach like this other than something that would have been thought impossible.

Had they been found out?

Surely not. Both of them had ensured total secrecy apart from Tanya—

 _Wait a minute…_ Nick thought. _Did Tanya give away enough hints for someone to connect the dots?_ Nick hoped that wasn't the case. He was the one that ultimately gave her their trust, thinking that she would respect their wishes without question. Nick, at the time, felt that he could trust the cat with his life. But now that he was moments away from possibly losing his job, Nick felt like he made a terrible mistake.

"I'm sure you know why I pulled you two aside,"

 _Yep, definitely found out…_

"Sir," Nick began. "Just so you know, this was not something that was expected. It just happened, and we rolled with it. We both thought it was—"

"What are you getting at, Wilde? Is there something you need to tell me?" Nick's silence and his petrified frown were all Bogo needed to know that something was up. Bogo slapped his face lightly with his hoof and sighed.

"I'm sure I'll find out what meaningless prank you pulled on me later tonight. Right now is not the time. There is important business we need to discuss."

Nick gave Judy a fleeting glance, this time even more confused than before when he first summoned them. It occurred to both of them that this was probably not due to their relationship. They just needed to listen to what Bogo had to say.

Bogo had with him a folder and he lay the folder onto the table, removing photos and several other documents; a case file.

"27-year-old male _Vulpes vulpes_ was found dead in the Rainforest District just an hour ago," Bogo said as he handed some of the photos to Nick and Judy. The first was rather gruesome, depicting the red fox, throat slashed and eyes rolled back into his skull, completely white. The body was suspended in the upper limbs of a massive tree, clearly in the Rainforest District. Nick switched to the second photo, showing another view of the body, and a view that made Nick feel the urge to retch.

Where there was supposed to be a long, fluffy tail was a short, bloody stump.

Nick cringed as he reached back to his own tail, imagining the pain of having his own removed in the same manner as in this situation. The stump was not cleanly cut. It appeared to have been hacked at with a dull blade several times before the appendage was finally amputated.

Nick handed off the pictures to Judy, who showed similar reactions to Nick. When she flipped to the second photo, she too delicately rubbed the base of her tail, imagining the pain that would result from having it so carelessly removed.

"Anything else that you know for sure?" Judy asked.

"His name is Toni Cabello. I did some research on him just before I came here. Turns out his record was pretty clean, save for a few petty offenses, but nothing too interesting. His father has been missing for twenty years; he was never found, and his mother was found dead seven years ago; that case has been cold ever since. He doesn't have an address, so I assume he lived on the streets or with someone else."

"Nothing else on associations with others that could give us a lead?" Nick asked. Bogo shook his head slowly to each side.

"There is a team currently researching everything about him, but it is going to take some time to dig up enough to get an idea of where to go next."

Bogo handed the remainder of the case file to Nick, and he flipped through the documents to get an idea of what they had to work with. After he finished skimming the contents, he was left disappointed to find very little. Bogo stood up from his chair and stepped towards the door. Before he exited the room, he turned around and gave out one of his rare smiles.

"I don't want you two working on that tonight. Have some fun and be ready early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir!" they both said in tandem, reciprocating the smile as he left them alone. Nick waited a few seconds before he opened up the file again and pulled out the two pictures of the body. With his attention fully on the photos, he didn't see or hear his partner calling out to him.

"Nick quit looking at those. You're gonna make yourself throw up."

Nick put the photos back in the file and closed it. "I know… it's just… I can't help but have a bad feeling about this. It's not good," he said. Judy placed her paw on Nick's shoulder, hoping to quell whatever was making him uneasy. It suddenly dawned on her that Nick was only six months into his career as a police officer. The craziest thing he'd seen was a car chase.

"Nick, have you never seen a dead body before?" Judy asked.

Nick sighed. "They can prepare you for anything at the academy, but not this. I dreaded the day I would see a body outside of a funeral, and it looks like that might be happening tomorrow."

"Oh, Nick," Judy said, pausing to look him directly in the eyes. "It _is_ going to happen tomorrow," Judy did her best to keep a straight face, but she found this situation oddly funny. She knew it wasn't funny because seeing a dead body meant that someone had to lose their life, but she was just eager to see how Nick reacted to seeing one in person. "Just suck it up and don't let it end up like my first time."

She didn't know why she said that last part.

"Oooh, does Officer Hopps have a story to tell? I would be delighted if my ears had the pleasure of knowing this tale!"

Nick lightly clapped his paws together, knowing full well that Judy was being forced into telling an embarrassing story about herself. Judy rolled her eyes as she put her paw on Nick's thigh, squeezing a little to make it known that she did _not_ want to tell this story.

"Fine," she said dryly. "It was right before you became an officer. I was helping Fangmeyer with a case while DelGato was out on vacation. We went to the mortuary and I had to observe the body, at which point I froze in my tracks for about five minutes straight. I actually can't remember what happened then, but apparently, she thought I was dead for a moment."

"Aww, that was a little anti-climactic. I thought you would have run off somewhere to give your lunch to the floor or something."

"That was the second time…" Judy mumbled and Nick laughed to himself.

"Well, I honestly think that will be me tomorrow, so have fun laughing about this with Tan— wait, don't actually tell her about this. I don't need her picking on me any more than she already does."

"Speaking of Tanya, let's see if they're done eating. I'm ready to party!" Judy exclaimed, throwing her paws in the air and prancing around the room.

Nick stood up from his chair and walked out of the room after Judy. "Alright, but just to warn you, I will stop at nothing to keep you away from the open bar."

"Good luck with that, dumb fox!"

* * *

 **A/N: So, what did you think? Leave a review to let me know!**

 **And now you know this has turned into a crime story. And hopefully, by the little bit of the case you read about, you can tell that this is going to be delightfully dark (my specialty ;)). Just know that the underlying theme will be the WildeHopps relationship and how it develops. Looking back on that little argument it seems like it won't be around much longer... but you'll just have to wait and see!**

 **Obviously, I love hearing your thoughts, so please leave a review! They mean so much to me and I truly want to hear what you think. And don't forget to follow and favorite if you already haven't!**

 **Don't forget to check out _Run_ , by Euphonemes and me! New chapter of that coming out soon!**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from all of you!**

 **-Ande**


	5. Indication of Resolution

**A/N: Hey guys! Great to get you another chapter! I hope you all will enjoy this one!**

* * *

 _6:07 A.M._

"Why…. Must…. I... Be…. So…. Tired!" Nick groaned, slamming his head into the back of the seat. When he was finished with his temper tantrum, Nick reached for a thermos filled with coffee and delicately sipped its contents. It wasn't his first cup, and unfortunately for the fox, it wasn't doing anything to give him energy; not yet at least.

"Are you going to act like a child for the rest of the day? Because if so, I'll have no problem being your mommy," Judy said, a smile creeping onto her muzzle. "And you've been a bad boy!" she said in a mocking and baby-talk voice.

Nick looked over to his partner in the driver's seat and quickly stuck his tongue out at her playfully. She remained focused on the road ahead of her, but from her peripheral vision, she saw the gesture. Judy scoffed at him, wondering why he had to resort to such juvenile methods of argument. From the passenger side of the car, Nick could tell that she was baffled at his intentionally childish behavior. Wearing a satisfied smirk, he rested his head against the car.

Right now, the only thing visible on the horizon was a dim glow from the soon-to-be-rising sun shining through the clouded sky. The rain had been drizzling down since Judy left the reception the previous night. The light sprinkle was continuous and just enough to give both of the tiny officers dreary feelings about the day ahead, not that they really needed anymore considering they were about to look at a dead body.

"Just lay off me a little bit, Carrots. I don't get up this early on a normal day. It's not easy when you're not used to it."

Judy burst out in a fit of chortles, mocking Nick's complaint. "God, you sound like my little brothers! They would whine and complain when dad woke them up at 4 A.M. to help him with chores. I got up at that time every day!"

Nick laughed a very fake laugh, still looking out of the passenger window. "I'm sorry that my body is attuned to getting more than four hours of sleep in a night."

"And who's fault is that? I left the reception at 11 and got plenty of sleep. You could have done the same," she added.

"Well, forgive me for wanting to do as Bogo said and have a good time. Everyone knows you stay for the entire reception. That way if anything funny happens you don't miss it," Nick said, his voice full of more energy than previously.

Nick was sure that he was going to be tired this morning after Bogo informed them about this case. But it wasn't the reception that caused his lack of sleep. He actually left not long after Judy, but when he got home and hopped into bed, he found it nearly impossible for him to sleep. The photos from the case file kept popping back into his mind, keeping him awake for longer than he wanted to admit, especially to Judy. He didn't need more of a reason for her to make fun of him.

Judy drove the cruiser down the street at the speed limit, keeping her eyes glued to the road ahead. The vehicle's headlights illuminated the path in front of them, the road shiny from the rain that continued to fall lightly. It appeared to be clearing up in the east, which was good for Nick. He always hated the rain.

Still on Nick's mind was one incredibly important question about their task.

"Can you, uh… maybe not tell anyone about how I react to seeing a dead body, please? I want to maintain some shred of dignity at the precinct." Judy gripped the wheel harder and tried her paw at a sly grin, one which did not quell Nick's uneasiness.

"We'll see. Quit working yourself up over this and maybe everything will be fine. If you keep getting all flustered, then you are bound to do something worth putting on EweTube."

Nick looked straight forward out of the rain-pelted windshield and gulped. _She wouldn't record that, would she?_ Nick thought to his dismay. Knowing how devious that little rabbit could be, he figured it wasn't too far-fetched.

Nick remembered from last night one of the funniest things he'd ever seen at a wedding. Everyone knows that there is a lot of drinking at wedding receptions, and the previous one was no exception. It was right before Nick left that someone had crossed the line of having too much and began acting as a hazard to the others having a good time. The lynx, a friend of Graham's, was stumbling all over the dance floor nearly knocking over several people in the process. When Graham thought that was enough he proceeded to chase after his friend and ended up tackling him to the ground.

That, he figured, _would_ end up on EweTube.

Thinking about last night brought up the worst moment from the otherwise wonderful time. Nick wasn't only kept up all night because of the photos. He felt their relationship was weakened to the point that it might not return to normal, or even exist in a few days. He couldn't, in good conscience, leave that moment in silence. It needed to get resolved.

But knowing that it was not the best time to be discussing such a sensitive topic, Nick kept quiet, merely thinking about how he planned on introducing the discussion later. He figured that it might go very similarly to last night, but it was much more unhealthy to keep everything in rather than get his thoughts out in the open. He wouldn't let himself stay away from the talk.

Nick leaned his head against the window of the car, his eyes every once in awhile closing ever so slowly only to have him jerk back awake a few seconds later. This went on for the rest of the drive to the mortuary where they would take their first in-person look at the body and hopefully gain a lead on their case.

When they finally pulled into the parking lot, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, but the dark clouds shaded the entire city from its blinding morning light, only giving Zootopia a dull, almost nonexistent glimpse into the colors that the sunrise provided.

The rain had continued, and the fox and rabbit paced quickly into the building, hoping they wouldn't get their fur too wet. When they reached the inside, both of them took in their surroundings, feeling like this was no different than a visit to the doctor or the dentist, but somehow more nerve-racking.

Quiet music played through overhead speakers, a bobcat secretary idly sipped his coffee and typed away on a keyboard, a few chairs sat unoccupied, and it smelled as clean as could be. It was a rather calming environment that they stumbled into, but they knew that was going to go away as soon as they were brought into the back.

Silently, the two tiny officers walked over to the reception desk and got the attention of the male bobcat behind the desk.

"Excuse me," Judy said, holding up a single finger on her paw. The bobcat removed his glasses and looked down from the tall desk. Seeing the two, he smiled warmly and greeted them.

"Officers Hopps and Wilde, I'm so glad you're here." Obviously, the bobcat had been informed of their arrival with them not needing to introduce themselves. "Dr. Capra is ready for you. Go through that door and down the hall to your left. He will be in the last door on your right," he said, gesturing to the only door leading to the back.

The two thanked the bobcat simultaneously and walked in the direction that he told them. Emerging in the back area, they were greeted with a long hallway rather dimly lit in a bath of pale, white light with several doors on each side of the corridor. They turned to the left, hearing a dull echo with each step that they took on the linoleum, and down the hall to the final door on their right. They stopped in front of the door and looked at each other before Nick knocked firmly three times. They waited for a second before a high-pitched male voice called from the other side.

" _Come on in! I don't want to have to put on new gloves!"_

Nick looked at Judy and shrugged. He opened the door and walked in, being bathed in bright lights that made both of them squint. Once their eyes adjusted to the room, they were able to see where they were perfectly well.

The room was much larger than anticipated, being close to three times the size of Judy's apartment. Specialized machinery and tools were scattered all around the room, many of which were recognizable as simple dissecting tools. The floor was still the plain white linoleum tiles and several metal tables stood in the middle of the room. On top of one of those tables was a covered body, Nick assumed that was the body of Toni Cabello.

Frantically walking around the space was a pronghorn in a lab coat, goggles, and wearing bright blue nitrile gloves. Judy noticed that he barely fit in the room, his antlers nearly touching the ceiling tiles.

"Hello," Nick began. "I'm Officer Wilde, and this is my partner, Officer Hopps," he said, gesturing to Judy.

The pronghorn stopped his frantic pacing for a moment to greet his guests.

"Nice to meet you. Dr. Capra at your service. I was told you were going to be here this morning, so I spent all night getting things ready for you. I know how time-sensitive those pesky cases can be."

Judy quickly glanced up at Nick, slightly amused by his appearance and the rushed way that he spoke.

"You didn't even go home? Aren't you tired?" Nick asked.

"Not even a little!" Dr. Capra said loudly. "There are times when I won't sleep for nearly two days! It's just the way that I do things. Some people say I'm a workaholic, and they're right! Sometimes I don't go home for two or three days at a time!"

"Well, what did you find out? Anything that could help us?"

Dr. Capra, in surprise to Nick and Judy, sat down in a desk chair and wheeled over to the officers, holding several papers. His speech seemed to slow down a little and he relaxed. Judy had to admit that he almost made her out of breath just watching him run around the room.

"I did a full autopsy overnight, and unfortunately I found nothing that we don't already know. Cause of death was the massive incision in the throat. At the time he was found, he had been dead for nearly a day. Nothing that can really help you, is it?"

Judy's shoulders and ears sagged in a way that Nick hadn't seen in a long time. It was bad enough that they had a homicide on their paws, but now things seemed like there was nothing for them to go on. They only had one other option, and that was to ask for tips from the public. Judy had hoped it wouldn't get to that point, but now it seemed like it was their best shot.

"Although, I did find one other thing, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I was hoping maybe you two would know."

And just like that, Judy's shoulders were back to normal, and her ears shot stick straight into the air. Dr. Capra wheeled over to his desk and wheeled back to Nick and Judy, holding a single photo.

"I saw this on his left calf. I've never seen anything like it before."

Nick took the photo and observed it for a second. As soon as he realized what he was looking at, his ears splayed back and he looked as if he just witnessed a violent crime. In the photo was the left calf, and on it was a symbol in white fur, obviously dyed. It was in the shape of the head of a canine animal, though instead of having ears, it had two pointed horns curving inward. In between the tips of the horns was an upside-down star: a pentagram.

Nick handed the photo over to Judy, who looked at it with curiosity, but reacted nothing like Nick. She didn't know what it was.

"Have any idea what this is, Nick?" Judy asked him.

Nick paid no heed to Judy and looked to Dr. Capra, "Can I see it myself?"

Dr. Capra nodded. "Sure. Gloves are right over there."

Nick gloved his paws and walked over to the covered body. Judy watched in anticipation, wondering when he was going to pass out or run to the bathroom with his paws covering his mouth. Nick uncovered only a small section of the cover, revealing the left leg. With his gloved paws, he lifted the leg into the air and twisted his head so that he could look at the back of the calf right side up. Sure enough, right there was the symbol that had succeeded in nearly petrifying Nick. He gently put the leg down and put the cover back over it.

"I think we're done here. Thank you, Dr. Capra," he said while removing his gloves hastily. When he was finished, Nick walked to the door and dragged Judy along with him despite her quiet protests. After they exited the room, Judy did more to try and get out of Nick's grasp, but it was fruitless on her part.

Frustrated with how Nick was acting, Judy decided to give it her all and try to stop the madness. She twisted herself in a way that Nick was unable to keep his grasp on her arm and she escaped. Running in front of Nick's path, she stopped.

"What the hell is going on, Nick? You just waltzed right out of there without hardly saying a word!"

"I know. It was a bit rude, but I'm freaking out." Judy's features softened and her ears popped into their upright position, ready to listen to whatever Nick was about to say. He had never admitted to being scared before.

"That symbol… I can't even put this to words. I hoped I would never see it again, but I guess I was wrong. All I can say is this: We are dealing with some bad people."

The confusion and nerve that had just come over Judy was not a good sign of what was to come. She hadn't seen Nick this scared since they found out they were in the back of Mr. Big's limo. She couldn't help but wonder what it was that was making Nick feel the way he was.

"You can tell me, Nick. Why is that symbol so bad?" Nick took a deep breath before he quietly spoke to her.

"That is a gang symbol. It belongs to a gang called "The Reds". I wouldn't exactly say they are the nicest of animals."

"I think that goes without saying…" Judy added. Nick shrugged his shoulders, seeing her point.

"Anyways, they are all over the city, but mostly in the Rainforest District and a little in Savannah Central. Trust me when I say you do not want to get on their bad side. You've already seen what can happen."

Judy stayed quiet, thinking to herself what was the best way to go about handling this situation. All she knew was that this was going to take a lot of time, and that was time they didn't have much of.

"Oh, and also, they're comprised of all red foxes."

Judy thought about that last statement, thinking it was a little bit strange to have a gang be all one species. But then she thought about it for a second. Most gangs that she knew of in the city were like that, but with strictly predator or prey members rather than certain species. She couldn't help but wonder if they were part of the reason that society wasn't too kind to people like Nick.

"We have a lot of work to do. We should probably get back to the precinct…" Judy said. Nick nodded his head in agreement and they both walked back to the cruiser in silence. They would have liked to talk about something, but they were not in a place to be chatting about nonsense when there was a case to deal with. It was time for them to get thinking.

And for the first several minutes of their drive back to headquarters, it was all thinking and complete silence. In the midst of Judy's thought, she realized that there was one question that she didn't know the answer to.

"Nick, how do you know so much about this gang?" Judy asked. There was a brief moment of tension in the car, but Nick's voice ended it, a little bit apprehensive to be sharing this information with Judy, no matter how close they were.

"They were somewhat prominent in the area I grew up in. Mom always told me to stay away from certain areas around town where they liked to mark their territory and cause all sorts of havoc. Every once in awhile, I would have a run-in with a few of the members if I wasn't careful. They wouldn't do anything terrible, just scare me a little and walk away. It wasn't until I was about fourteen that they would actually get physical if I met a few of them. After the first time of that, I learned to avoid them at all costs."

Judy took a moment to process the information. She knew he had a rough childhood, but never thought it involved run-ins with gang members. "Oh… well…" she said, a little uncomfortable now knowing that part of Nick's past, and judging by the way he spoke, he wasn't fond of bringing it up in conversation. She decided in her head it was best to leave it alone and not bring it back up. "What do you think we should do? I've got an idea, but I want to hear what you think."

"Honestly, I'm not too sure. I knew who ran the gang when I was little, but it could be anyone at this point. It's been years since then. Otherwise, I would have suggested going after the leader."

"Well," Judy began. "I think our best, if not only option, is going to be to get tips from the public. By now there should be a little more info on Toni so we'll know who he's associated with, anyone that knew him or had ever seen him."

"On top of that, I'm sure the ZPD has plenty on whoever is leading the gang. If we can find him in the archives, that might give us a little more on what we could be dealing with," Nick said.

"I'm pretty sure there is a list of all known gangs and their leaders. I'll be damned if this guy isn't on there. I think that is our best shot."

Nick hmm'd, agreeing with Judy's judgment. "Let's get to work, then."

* * *

 _9:34 P.M. - Judy's Apartment_

Judy sat on her bed, the lamp on her nightstand being the only light illuminating her tiny, one-roomed apartment. The sun had gone down nearly an hour ago, making it necessary to turn it on after being relieved of the natural light that usually lit the space.

She was lost in the pages of a book she had been reading for a while. It was one that she said she really wanted to get into but had never found the time. It was a while back that she realized that the only way to not be bothered by her obnoxious neighbors was to be as silent as possible, hence how she was able to finally read the novel. She couldn't even giggle at a funny video without them asking was was so hilarious, so by reading her book, she remained invisible to her neighbors.

Though, tonight, Bucky and Pronk seemed to be absent from the neighboring room. It was an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise, and even though she had free reign to do whatever she wanted without interruption from them, she had taken to really enjoy the novel and wanted to get more into it.

That, and only recently she found it as a good distraction from what was really on her mind. She found herself dwelling on the previous night, wondering why she said what she said, and more importantly, how she intended on continuing that conversation.

She was not so lucky to be uninterrupted that night as she had hoped. A quick knock on her door removed her attention from the book, bringing her ears up in full attention. A quiet and low groan escaped her as she marked her page and set it on the stand next to her. She stealthily walked over to her door and looked through the rabbit level peep-hole. A view consisting of the collar of a green Pawaiian shirt and some cream colored fur gave away exactly who it was. Opening the door revealed something she did not expect; a soaking wet Nick.

"What the heck? Why are you wet?" Judy asked with curiosity.

"I ran. There wasn't another train going this way the rest of the night. Can I come in? Maybe use a few of your towels?" Judy stepped aside, allowing the soaked fox inside her apartment. She went over to her wardrobe and grabbed a pile of rabbit-sized towels.

"So why didn't you tell me you were coming over? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but a little warning would have been nice."

"I did. I called you a few times, then sent you a text. You never responded."

"You never—" Judy looked at her phone for the first time in a couple of hours. Sure enough, there were four missed calls and an unread text from Nick. "—ok, maybe you did, but why? Is there something you want to talk about?" she said, handing Nick the towels. As he dried his fur as much as possible, Nick continued, albeit distracted.

"The Great Catsby? I didn't think you were into that kind of stuff," Nick said, eyes trained on the book situated on her nightstand.

"I've been meaning to read it for a while."

"That's what everyone says," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm actually reading it! Can't you see the bookmark— never mind…. What was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Nick sighed. "I think we've given ourselves enough time. We need to talk about last night."

Judy mentally sighed a sigh of disappointment, figuring that was the reason for his sudden arrival. She wasn't opposed to the idea, but it meant that she was forced to do one of the hardest things she would ever do.

"I've was afraid you were going to say that. But now that it's out there, I really need to apologize."

Nick raised an eyebrow. Judy's response was not what he expected to hear. "You do?"

Judy led Nick to her bed, having both of them sit down and talk.

"Yeah. I need to apologize for the things I said. It was unfair of me to put all of that on you. It was a bit harsh, especially considering where we were, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been true about me for a long time. I was never the girl that dreamed of the pretty white dress and the handsome groom at the end of the aisle," Judy said. She struggled to get her words out. She never had issues apologizing to someone unless she felt like she screwed up monumentally. This was one of two times she could think of in her life, and it was to the same mammal.

"But maybe I outgrew those feelings and I didn't even know it."

Nick had been listening to her before, but that really got his attention, bringing his muzzle away from his paws and right to her eyes. He was a mix between relief and anger, knowing that she lied to him, but was prevented from releasing his full rage because of the way she spoke so quietly, so guilty, and so remorseful. Nick spoke softly, more concerned for his partner than angry at her, "Then why did you say otherwise?"

"I don't know," Judy said, frustrated with herself and how she acted. "After some thinking when I got home I felt like such an idiot, but I just couldn't get myself to call you, or even text you! I completely froze when I realized how badly I messed up last night. The truth is…" Judy took a couple of seconds to take a deep breath and collect herself. "I can see us getting married someday. Like I said, I don't know why I said I didn't want to. I guess the whole atmosphere and you bringing it up put a bit of pressure on me. I don't want my life to go too fast, and the thought of getting married makes me feel like I might have missed out. I still want to travel the world and see new places. I just don't see it as a priority, so if we're going to get married, it might not be for several years."

Nick remained silent, contemplating the words that she said. To him, it was a relief that she had cleared things up, especially since it scared him a little with her saying that she never wanted to get married or have kids, but she still lied to him.

"Judy, you lied to me. Why would you lie about something like that?"

"I'm scared, Nick!" Her sudden shout nearly causing him to jump from her bed. "We got off to a fast start, and it scared me! I don't want things to go too fast. We need to take our time and figure things out instead of rushing into things we aren't prepared for."

"So you tried to slow us down by lying?" Nick said with a hint of anger flowing in his words.

"It was stupid! I know! I panicked, and once I said what I said, I thought there was no turning back! I wanted us to slow down, but I didn't think that would nearly stop everything in its tracks. I understand that you're angry. I won't stop you from feeling that way. Just know that I am _so_ sorry for the way I treated yo— us." Judy couldn't bear to look at Nick right now. She felt like she didn't even deserve him anymore.

She wasn't wrong. Nick _was_ angry, and apparently, it was showing based on how Judy couldn't look him in the eyes. Nick heard a sniff to his left. He turned to Judy and saw her facing the floor, avoiding eye contact with him and a tear streaming down her cheek.

"Hey," Nick spoke softly, reaching his paw over to caress her cheek, wiping away her tears and gently turning her head to meet his eyes. "I won't hold this against you. I'll admit that we did get off to a quick start, but you haven't ruined anything. If you want to wait, that's fine by me. We have the rest of our lives to do whatever you want to do, and I'm not, in good conscience, going to hold you back from that."

Nick hoped that his words would bring some solace to his partner, but he only seemed to make her more upset.

"That's not what I'm worried about," she said, lightly moving Nick's paw off of her cheek. Nick's gentle smile briskly fell away, revealing the same sort of fear that he felt last night. "I feel like _I_ am going to hold _you_ back. I still don't want kids. I know that you do. I couldn't live with myself if I prevented you from achieving one of your dreams."

And then she uttered the short phrase that would change the course of their relationship. Nick's answer would ultimately decide whether they stayed together, or split apart.

"Could you?"

For perhaps the first time in his life, Nick was made truly speechless. His silver tongue and years of living on the street made dealing with any query a breeze for him, but this was a challenge he had never faced. Nick liked to think that he knew a lot, but there was one thing that he could know nothing about; the future.

He didn't know how anything was going to play out for certain, especially when dealing with his own life. He didn't know what he was going to think about his life many years down the road when he was an old fox. If he married Judy and never had children, would he regret that?

"I think I need some time to think about that…"

Judy wasn't surprised by his answer. She remained unphased by it and kept staring at the teardrops that were on the cold wooden floor of her apartment.

"I'm okay with that. Take your time. I want you to be one hundred percent sure of your answer."

She was surprisingly content with how their conversation ended. Knowing that she did all she could to mend things between them was comforting. She wanted Nick to be happy, but if it wasn't with her then she had to respect that, even if it did hurt to think about.

Nick stood up, giving Judy one last glance and a weak smile before he walked out of her apartment. She knew it was the right thing to do. She had no right to hold him back and therefore had to let him decide if he wanted to keep going or end it peacefully. She did something good, but it seemed to hurt all the same.

Her ideal vision of the talk involved Nick being ok with what she said, possibly even staying for a while just to talk as friends, not as a couple trying to figure out how to make their relationship last. Her exterior showed Nick that she was ok with the way their conversation ended, but inside she was dangerously close to breaking. For nearly an hour, she sat on the edge of her bed, wishing that things didn't have to be so complicated between them.

She pined to have a normal relationship with Nick, going out to the park and holding paws, telling him that she loved him with everyone watching. Seeing him walk out of her apartment, unsure if he could spend the rest of his life with her without feeling regret made her think that was never possible. But then she remembered what she had said the day that Nick became a police officer.

 _I implore you… try. Try to make the world a better place…_

It was all she could do. Making Nick's world a better place was up to him now. She wanted that with Nick, and she loved him. The night before she might have, if only for a second, contemplated whether that was true or not. But now it was clear as day: Judy Hopps was madly in love with Nick Wilde. Keeping that love alive was all that really mattered to her right now; it even took precedent over her profession, the original love of her life. When she finally turned off her lamp, the clock at her bedside told her it was nearly midnight, and her heavy eyelids told her it was time to go to bed.

Mind clouded from exhaustion, she forgot all about her thought process from the last few hours and focused on one thing only.

Sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: And there we have it. A little bit of resolution for our WildeHopps fans, but things aren't quite over. Nick has some serious thinking to do if he wants to make the right choice. Of course, you guys know what the right choice is ;) (And so do I. Don't give up hope ;)**

 **Was this better than the last one? I sure hope so. I will admit, most of the reviews brought up some fair points, and I did my best to explain myself. Hopefully this was good enough for now, but obviously just give the story time because it is far from over. It will all make sense in the end.**

 **I really want to know how I did this time around. Please leave a nice review! If everyone did, that would be fantastic! I would love you guys even more if we made that happen! And of course, don't forget to follow and favorite. I love those just as much as reviews!**

 **Glad to give you some reading material, and as always, I'll see you next time, have a great day! (or night!)**

 **-Ande**

 **P.S. As the 1-year anniversary of** _ **Forty One Days**_ **is coming up, I decided to go back to that story and begin updating the chapters. They'll be updated every once in a while until I can get all of them, so if you're interested in re-reading that guaranteed tear-jerker, check them out! I'll put a note at the beginning of each updated chapter telling you when it was updated, as well as let you know what chapters have been updated with each upload of** _ **Pieces**_ **!**

 **Thanks!**


	6. Tips Are Always Appreciated

**A/N: The next two chapters are going to take place within some of the events of the last chapter. This chapter begins after their visit to the mortuary but before their discussion from the last chapter. The same will go for the next chapter.**

* * *

 _8:27 A.M. - Precinct One_

One thing at a time. After the short period of time Nick had been a police officer, he'd learned that it was best to do one thing at a time so that he wouldn't feel too stressed. Judy had learned the same lesson when she was still a newbie and had never strayed from it since. With a case of this caliber, it would be more important than ever.

As crazy as the situation was getting to be, Judy was feeling excited about the coming days. This was their biggest case as partners, not counting the Nighthowler case, of course, and Judy figured they were about to do some very exciting, if not dangerous stuff. A thrill-seeker at heart, it was what she loved about her job the most.

But while Nick was no stranger to the thrill of getting into all sorts of trouble, he was not feeling quite so optimistic. Their situation had gone from bad to worse, and Judy was none the wiser to just how bad things truly were.

The moment Nick first saw the gang symbol emblazoned on Toni Cabello's calf the memories of a certain night flooded back to him in excruciating detail. The fear that followed him for years after that incident felt almost as paralyzing as it had originally. Mere hours ago, Nick felt as though his world was about to come crashing down in front of him, the mistakes of his past destroying all that he had worked for and ruining everything he had going for him.

From the moment he became a police officer, he hoped that what was on his mind might never become known to Judy. He had to do everything that he could to make that happen.

Two hours later, Nick had calmed down enough to where he could focus on the truly important rather than things looming in the shadows. He had a case to solve, and dammit, he was going to stop at nothing to do everything he could to make that happen.

After their brief visit to the mortuary, Nick and Judy drove back to Precinct One, eager to tell Chief Bogo about their findings. The drive back was almost completely silent, save for a few remarks from Nick about Dr. Capra's strange mannerisms to which Judy told Nick to not be so insensitive. Nick had insisted he was only making observations rather than making fun of him, but Judy wasn't so keen on believing him.

Nick wasn't that cruel, despite how cynical he could be. He was grateful for the pronghorn. He was, after all, the one that got them a very strong lead in their case.

After their arrival at HQ, they went straight to Bogo's office and told him everything about what they found out. Bogo listened intently, only interrupting if he had a question about their endeavors. They told him about the symbol, and Nick took to quickly sketching it on a small piece of paper. Bogo had recognized it immediately, making it known that there were a few members of the gang doing time in the city jail.

With that information, Nick and Judy figured they might have to interrogate a few of them to try and get more information if they ever hit a dead end. While they hoped things wouldn't come to that, it was nice knowing that they had some sort of backup if the case went dry.

After filling Bogo in on the case, they went to work, hoping to learn all they could about whoever was at the head of The Reds. Nick hoped, yet feared that it was the same fox that he remembered to be the leader when he was younger. If it were the case, Nick already knew a little bit about the mammal in question.

They also told him that they were going to need some help in getting more information about Toni Cabello. Bogo said he would get the message out there and assured them that they would be receiving calls later that day at the earliest, possibly by noon, even. Now, the fox and the rabbit walked casually through the halls of the Precinct One HQ on their way to their computers where they could look up some information on gang leaders in Zootopia.

As they roamed the silent corridors, Nick's eyes every so often flicked towards his partner. He didn't quite like the way her face appeared so down in the dumps and intended on fixing it.

"Things are looking pretty good, aren't they, Carrots?" Nick asked as he walked beside her. His eyes remained focused, but his voice had plenty of playfulness evident. Despite what he looked like, Nick always had room to goof about.

"I suppose so, considering we are investigating a homicide," Judy added.

"You could say Dr. Capra gave us a… killer lead…"

"..."

"Ow! Do you have to hit so hard?"

"For a pun that bad, you're lucky to be standing right now, fox!"

"Hey now, I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little! You look so serious. Try and have a little fun!"

"..."

"Ow! Not again! Seriously?! What did I do that time?"

Judy cracked a tiny grin hearing Nick's pleas for mercy from her tiny, yet powerful fists. No matter how much he said she could never get to him, she knew it was like taking candy from a baby. Judy knew his one weakness, and that was herself. "Nothing. I just wanted to show you how much I love you," she said, flashing Nick a smile.

"I guess that's why they say love bites…" Nick mumbled under his breath. Judy turned to him and narrowed her eyes.

"You know I can hear you even when you whisper to yourself. Kinda hard to not hear when I have these," she said, holding the tips of her ears. Nick kept his muzzle facing forward, an infuriating grin staring back at Judy.

"Maybe I wanted you to hear me. You know you look adorable when you're angry. Don't try and deny it, either."

Judy held up a digit to protest but stopped herself before she tried issuing her rebuttal for a very childish debate, in her eyes. Seeing their shared cubicle coming up, she ignored Nick's previous comment and kept looking at their intended destination.

Arriving at their workspace, Judy looked over the two desks fitted inside a single cubicle for a larger mammal. Two computers sat on top of the desks, but the tiny officers found themselves using only one of the machines more often than each on their separate computer. The gray walls did very little to keep the noise in the rest of the office space down, but it at least gave them the little bit of privacy that was sometimes wanted, or even needed.

Judy sat at her computer and Nick wheeled over next to her, eyes trained on the screen and mind going into police mode, putting all distractions in the back of his mind and focusing solely on the task at paw.

"So, this list of gang leaders… how exactly is this going to bring us closer to our killer?" Nick asked.

"Good question. You see, the bios of all of the known gang leaders are surprisingly thorough, which could give us a better idea of whether he's a solid suspect or not." Judy typed in the words 'Reds, The' in the search bar, bringing up several bios of criminals all related to The Reds. She clicked on the one at the very top, bringing up a photo of a very grizzled and weathered red fox.

"Here's our guy. Marvin Rathmore, age 46. He's been the known leader of The Reds for thirteen years and has been suspected of several murders and other various crimes, but never convicted of any of them. That seems a bit shady if you ask me."

"I'd say this guy either gets framed a lot, or he is damn good at hiding evidence, and I would have to agree with the latter," Nick added.

"I'll say so. I wonder how they were never able to get him for any of these crimes?"

"Probably because his own guys took the blame for him. Take a look at who was actually convicted of those crimes," Nick said, pointing at one of the case titles that he was in. Looking up that case, this particular one being a murder case from seven years ago, the one convicted was a member of The Reds.

"You're right! And look at this, the cause of death was a slit throat and the victim's tail was missing from the scene," Judy added. She pulled up some of the photos from that particular case and saw that the victim, a snow leopard, had his tail cut off, and not very cleanly. Nick felt his stomach churning the moment the pictures were pulled up. The sight of blood was never one he could handle.

Judy went back to the bio on Marvin Rathmore and read some more. Her eyes scanned the screen carefully, not wanting to miss anything important. Coming upon something that seemed interesting, her facial expression went from that of a casual smile to a terrified frown.

"Uh… Nick…. Do you know what a "cleaver" is?" Judy asked nervously.

"Yeah… why?"

Nick moved his head closer to the screen where Judy pointed a shaky digit at what she had just read. Reading the short line from the bio, he now understood the reason for her sudden change in mood.

 _Rathmore has been known to carry a replica of the ancient blade known as a cleaver, originally used by predators thousands of years ago not long before peace was achieved between predator and prey when they were outlawed._

Nick shuddered at the thought of having his own tail chopped off with a blade like that.

"That's his favorite weapon. I guess we know what took Cabello's tail off.."

"Ok, so we have a suspect who is possibly the murderer of several other mammals and enjoys cutting off tails with a cleaver…. I don't know about you, but I would like to scream like a little girl."

Judy slowly turned her head to meet Nick's eyes, a baffled look upon her muzzle. "You really know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"

Nick shrugged. "What? I'm just being honest."

Judy facepalmed and tried her best to not laugh due to the situation, but her effort was in vain as seconds later she burst out in a small fit of chuckles.

"Alright then… we might as well get as much information about this guy and the rest of the gang while we can. Let's get digging."

"As much as I hate to say it. Bring it on!"

* * *

 _12:27 P.M._

Nick was not one for desk work, especially when he coupled the late night, lack of sleep, and the early morning on top of the already tedious task. The last few hours had become a battleground to stay awake, and he'd done surprisingly well having only dozed off a couple of times. Judy was kind enough to wake him gently instead of some other devious way. They would much rather be out and about, but when duty called, Nick and Judy were more than happy to be putting in maximum effort to get the job done and get it done well.

Thankfully for them, there was plenty of studying that they had to do, especially for Judy. With Nick's previous knowledge of the gang and what they did, some of the things that they read were not entirely new to the fox. There was still plenty that he didn't know about, however, and their studying proved to be very useful for both of them.

By the end of their study session, both of them knew exactly what the gang was involved in, and needless to say, Judy was not exactly thrilled to find out.

The Reds, as Nick explained before, were a gang comprised of all red foxes, apparently something that had been so since it's founding in the 1920's. It had been lead by the same family of foxes since then, usually, the firstborn son is the one to take over the "family business" as it was often referred to.

Since the gang's conception, they had been involved in plenty of illegal activities, ranging from the marketing and production of alcohol during the city-wide ban in the 20's, the event that likely spawned the gang in the first place, to today where they are a major player in the city's drug trade and beyond. The ZPD wasn't even sure on the full extent of their activities, though it was assumed that they were fairly sufficient in most illicit activities.

With all of the very important information regarding the gang and how it was run, they learned a lot about the history of it as well, which could prove useful in some situations. Combine all of that reading together, they were thoroughly exhausted and ready to get out of their desks.

And just as Bogo had promised, they received several calls regarding information about Toni Cabello, and each one they took into consideration. None, however, proved to be that break that they needed in a situation like this.

Although, one particular caller did peak their interest. It was an elderly woman who called them several times thinking that the number she had dialed was to a carry-out restaurant, only to find out that it wasn't. Judy had learned after the third call that the woman's name was Mrs. Stagson, and proceeded to call her by name for the last few calls.

For the tiring and mentally exhausting day, that was a positively refreshing change of pace for the two of them and gave them a little bit of a laugh when it was all said and done.

Around the time they had done all the research they could, Nick's stomach was beginning to tell him that lunch was fast approaching, the organ gurgling louder than he would have liked.

"So, where are you thinking for lunch, Mr. Nick's Stomach?"

"Har har, Carrots. But now that you mention it, I'm down for something to eat. Got any ideas?"

Judy tapped her fingers on her chin for a few seconds in silent contemplation. As she was just about to make a suggestion, the phone on the desk rang loudly as it always did, but nearly causing the two of them to jump upon hearing the sound. Judy hastily picked up the phone, leaving Nick to only speculate on the nature of the call.

"Zootopia Police Department, Officer Judy Hopps, speaking…."

Nick could hear the voice on the other end, but couldn't quite make out what it was saying. He watched as Judy's face went from neutral to a giddy excitement, and he felt his own lips tugging at a cheesy smile. Judy suddenly grabbed a pen and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

"...Ok, thank you very much. We will be there as soon as possible. Goodbye."

Nick looked at his partner, unwavering in eye contact. There was a certain tension in the air brought on by the mystery of who that caller was and what they had to say.

"So…?" Nick asked, hoping that Judy would be able to elaborate for him.

"Well… change of plan. Instead of lunch, we're going to the residence of a friend of Cabello's." Her voice was hopeful, yet strangely shaky and nervous. Nick thought it might have been from excitement. He knew how gung-ho she could get about work.

"Why? Does he know something we don't?"

It was a fair question since Nick was left completely out of the conversation between Judy and this mystery informant that apparently did not want to speak over the phone. It all seemed a little bit strange to Nick, but if this person had good info, then who was he to question?

"Well, he didn't exactly say, but a friend of Cabello's is a friend of ours. I think this could be good."

"I sure hope you're right, Fluff. Oh, by the way, who exactly are we dealing with?"

Judy cleared her throat. "His name was Jerry Foxson. Didn't say anything more than that about himself other than his address," she said, holding up the piece of paper she wrote on moments earlier.

This peaked Nick's interest. He recalled from his youth a friend of his with that very same name. It had been years since he'd seen Jerry, so if this was the same one, it would be nice to get to see him again. And if this was the same Jerry from his childhood, Nick knew the information he might give would be genuine.

"Hmm," Nick growled from deep in his throat. "Well then, let's get going. The faster we get done with him, the faster we can get food."

"Is that really all you care about right now? Food?" Judy asked.

Nick nodded. "Well, without food, I can't focus on the case, now can I?"

"Touché," Judy added.

* * *

 _1:03 - Arrival at the Foxson Residence_

The wonderful smells of the cricket processing factory a few miles south. The way the cracks in the sidewalk seemed to extend like a spider's web, the way the trees swayed in the breeze. It was all coming back to him. The sight of his old neighborhood was just that — old. It was all he knew as a child. It was home to Nick.

It was all he could think about as they slowly drove through the streets Nick ran around on as a child. Nick didn't consider him much of a nostalgic person, but to him, his childhood was almost as perfect as it could have gotten. The bad memories only started after the incident with the Junior Ranger Scouts, but he had since learned to keep those memories hidden away. The only things he cared to remember were all of the good times he had living in this part of town.

While they drove through the deserted streets, all Judy could think about were the abandoned houses, and the ones that were occupied were hardly livable in her eyes. The paint that once covered the siding was now peeled off almost entirely on most of the houses. Smashed windows like pointed fangs seemed to follow her wherever she looked. Weeds grew taller than Nick in the yards of the abused and abandoned homes, threatening to block out the sight of the establishments they grew around.

Judy didn't think that would be too bad.

"Isn't this great?" Nick asked though he wasn't seeking an answer. He simply wanted to make it known that he was happy to be back where he grew up, even if only for a short while.

Judy already knew he was excited. His face was perpetually pressed against the window, and to do so, he thought he had to kneel on the seat. Every once in awhile, his wildly wagging tail would brush her ears or her cheek. As she was focused on driving, this grew to be awfully annoying after the first few times. A piece of her wondered if he was doing it on purpose, and she believed it.

"Greatly troubling, sure. But great? Not so much," Judy said plainly. Nick was brought out of his nostalgia for just a moment, turning his head away from the window and towards Judy. He planted himself back in the seat normally, to which Judy cracked a little smile.

"Hey now. This is where I grew up! My mother still lives around here. I don't need you back talking my home!"

"I'm not trying to make fun of where you grew up, I'm just making an observation! All I'm saying is it doesn't look very… safe."

"Coming from you, who grew up in Bunnyburrow where the worst crime they had ever seen was The Great Crop Thief of 1912, who stole 20 bushels of carrots in a single night. And they were never found again!" Nick said in a mockingly dramatic voice complete with his own echo effect.

"Hey! We had real crime! There was that time when— wait…. Oh! There were those— no…. That was just some drunk buck that thought he saw Big Paw robbing the Johnson's carrot stores…."

"No need to disprove yourself anymore, Carrots. You come from the safest place on the planet. We get it."

"I will think of something," Judy said with determination, pulling the car to the side of the street and putting it in park. She turned to Nick and narrowed her eyes. "And it will be a real crime, just you wait."

"I can wait," Nick said, placing a quick kiss on her lips, throwing Judy off and making her come out of the intimidating character she made for herself. He exited the car smiling with her still wide-eyed and ears stick straight, leaning over the center console. Grumbling to herself and frowning, she removed her seatbelt and got out of the car, being sure to lock it several times before she caught up with Nick.

She took the lead, being sure to get a good stroke of his tail before stepping in front of him. She didn't look back, but she could feel his 'Watch the tail, Carrots,' glare on the back of her head.

Stepping onto the front porch of the deteriorating house, Judy knocked on the door. Stepping back a bit, they waited for the door, which opened moments later. A fox about Nick's age appeared in the opening, his fur slightly less shiny and his eyes a dull brown rather than an emerald green. Not to mention his eyes remained half-lidded, but with no smile. He looked more tired than laid back.

But those eyes did not stay half-lidded for long. There were a few seconds where Nick and the presumed Jerry Foxson just stood staring at each other. After those seconds were up, the two both burst out in a mixture of laughter and shouts of joy upon realizing that they were childhood friends. The two vulpine came together in a welcoming hug, each one asking how they had been, but without ever getting much of an answer because of all the excitement.

Judy stood by and watched the touching moment from the side, observing the reunion with joy. She didn't even know this other fox, but just by the way they greeted each other after many years told her that this was likely Nick's best friend back in the day.

After they had gotten used to the situation, both of them calmed down enough to get some coherent sentences in.

"Holy smokes, Nick… what the hell happened to you? Last I heard you were still running around with Finnick!" Jerry said joyously.

"Well, I ended up running into this wonderful rabbit, here," he replied, gesturing to Judy who offered a timid wave. "And she set me straight. Helped me get with the ZPD six months ago and life has been amazing!"

Jerry shook his head back and forth with a big fat grin on his face. "That is just incredible, Nick. I never thought I'd see you in a police uniform."

"Believe me, I never thought I would have, either. Anyway, how are you doing? It's been like what, twenty years?"

"Twenty-three, actually, but the family's growing. Number two just arrived a few months ago," Jerry said with a gentle smile. A look of awe washed over Nick.

"No way. That's awesome! I can't believe you're a dad! Time sure has flown, hasn't it?"

Everyone in the group silently nodded their heads, which Judy saw as her time to intervene.

"Yeah, it's great that you've reunited, but remember we did come here for a reason, Nick," she said, hoping that she didn't sound too insincere. For a moment, the whole world seemed silent, but it must have only been her imagination.

"Oh, gosh, you're right. I've been holding you two up, haven't I?" Jerry said defensively. "Please come in. Sorry if the place is a mess. Two kids leave little time to make the place look as good as it can."

Dodged a bullet there, Jude…

Jerry directed them inside his home, which as he warned, was quite filthy with toys and other baby items. Jerry had them sit on the couch while he pulled an Ottoman forward and sat as well.

"So, I guess to start, we could use just about anything about Toni Cabello. Where he lived, who he hung out with, anything at all." Judy said.

"Toni was a bit of a wanderer. He bounced from house to house; whoever would let him sleep on their couch, I guess. When that wasn't an option, I imagine he just took to the streets. I honestly don't think he ever wanted a place of his own."

That must have been why his address was no good… Judy thought.

"What about his relationship with The Reds? Do you know much about that?"

"Actually, Toni was a bit annoying because he never really shut up about that. Whenever he got a good assignment or something, he would talk our ears off forever.

"Wait a second," Nick interrupted. "Who's 'our'?"

"Oh, I forgot to say… he stayed at my neighbor's place every once in awhile. We hang out quite a bit, so that's actually how I got to know Toni."

Nick thought about it for a second, and it all seemed to make sense. Cabello seemed like a bit of a hothead who wouldn't shut up unless he was silenced. If Rathmore felt like Cabello was a threat to the gang's well-being, it was likely that he had him killed, or perhaps killed him with his own paws.

"What kind of assignments did he talk about? Did he ever say anything specific?" Nick asked.

"He never got too specific, well, except for about a week ago. He was talking about this deal that he was supposed to guard. He mentioned that it was happening on the 18th."

Nick and Judy both looked at each other. "That's tomorrow night!"

"Yeah. It's going down just off of South Canyon in the parking lot of an abandoned church. It's about a mile off the road, so nobody ever goes by it. Good spot, if you ask me."

"Ok, one more question, Mr. Foxson…. Do you know anything about Marvin Rathmore, and possibly his whereabouts?"

"Of course I— well, I don't _know_ him, per sé, but I've heard plenty about him. Everything I've heard has been about how crazy the guy is. He's a frickin' snake, too. Nobody ever really knows where he is, and apparently, he's silent as can be on his feet. Even you'd have trouble hearing him!" he said, gesturing to Judy.

What Jerry said made sense. He has never been convicted of murder despite being suspected several times, so the lack of compelling evidence could be traced to how sneaky and silent he can be. His victims probably didn't even know what happened, and anyone that might have been around wouldn't have seen or heard anything until the deed had been done. Or they would be the next to be silenced by his paws.

"Well, thank you for your time and information, Mr. Foxson. What you've given us has been very helpful. But before we leave, is there anything else you can tell us?"

Jerry looked at Nick and then to Judy, unsure on what he should say, or if he should say anything. He was tempted to give them a little more info, but he didn't think it would be best. "Just… be careful," he said quietly.

"We're professionals. Believe me, we're ready for whatever he has to throw at us," Nick added. Nick approached the other fox and Jerry stood up. "Will I see you around?" Nick said with a smile. Jerry looked at Nick, reminiscing on the days they spent as friends years ago. His paw firmly grasped Nick's.

"You can count on it."

Bidding their final farewells, Nick and Judy exited the house and proceeded to get inside their patrol car where they would decide their next move.

"How crazy is it that he knew you?" Judy said.

Flipping his sunglasses open and putting them over his eyes, Nick said the one thing that Judy had a hard time believing. "I know everybody, Carrots. How do you keep forgetting that?"

"But what about his neighbor? You didn't know him."

"It's a figure of speech. But seriously, I know everybody."

"That doesn't even make sense! How could you—" Judy grumbled in frustration while Nick looked forward and smiled. "Whatever. I'm not going to try and fight it. You'll win anyway."

"Exactly, now about lunch… we're in the neighborhood. Why don't we stop in and see my mom? It's been too long since I last saw her, and she's been dying to meet you. You're kinda her favorite bunny in the whole world."

Judy didn't want to offend Nick. She was not looking forward to ever meeting his mother. As great as she sounded from the few stories that she had heard, Judy wasn't thrilled about it in their current situation. But the last part of Nick's statement got her curiosity sparked.

"Why would she want to meet me?" The realization suddenly hit her like a truck. "Nick… you didn't tell her about… us, did you?" she nearly screamed.

"Not a chance, Carrots," Nick said. "I know that you still want to keep this secret, so I didn't go and yap to my mother. Knowing her, she would have told half the city by now."

"So what did you say?"

"I told her that you helped me become a police officer. Mom wasn't proud, so to speak, about me living on the streets. You're a little bit of a hero to her."

Judy tried to stay partial to the situation, but the way Nick put it made her feel so good. She had never even met his mother, and yet she already thought so highly of her. Perhaps doing this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Ok, when you put it that way…"

"Oh, so now you're all high and mighty so you think it's worth your time, huh?" Nick said sarcastically. Judy punched him in the arm. "Ow! You seriously don't know you're own strength, do you?"

"Oh, I know it, alright! Let's just go before I change my mind."

As Nick thought about the information that was just made known to them, he thought of one other thing that nearly caused him to shudder. In all of his years of living on the streets, he never truly thought about how his actions might affect his future. He didn't really think it could affect his future, so he never paid any heed to what he did. It turned out that his past was getting dangerously close, and he did not welcome it.

Nick realized that he'd been staring at the steering wheel for almost a minute straight. It suddenly occurred to him that because of his past, it was not a good idea that they continued investigating. They needed to give the case to someone else, but he didn't want Judy to know exactly why. He needed to keep it cool for now.

"You got it, Fluff."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, well, well, it seems like Nick has something to hide, and by the way he thinks they need to stop the investigation and hand it off to some other officers, it probably isn't very good.**

 **I'm getting really excited for the next few chapters. This is when things are going to get really good ;)**

 **I already have chapter 7 done. I'll give it a while for editing and then it will be out. Should come in about a week, maybe a few days longer!**

 **But anyways, what did you think? Good? Bad? Let me know with a review! I always love hearing what you have to say! And as per usual, favorites and follows are appreciated just as much!**

 **Also, chapters 1-3 of _Forty-One Days_ have been updated, and chapter 4 is not far behind!**

 **I hope you enjoyed. Take care, have a great day!**

 **-Ande**

 **PS: I have a new story in the works. It'll be a lot more fun than any of my other stuff, so I hope you enjoy that when it comes out. I have the first chapter set to release on November 19th, so look forward to that. I also plan on having all of _Forty-One Days_ updated by then! You can check out some more regarding the new story on my profile.**


	7. I'm Not Calling the Shots

**A/N: Hey guys, just for some clarification, this chapter is simply the continuation of the last one, so everything about the last one applies here. Enjoy!**

* * *

This time, Nick hopped in the driver's seat. Pulling away from Jerry's house, they took off down the same street for a few blocks before Nick turned to the right and then traveled only a couple of blocks more. Coming up on perhaps the nicest house in the neighborhood, which wasn't saying too much, they pulled off to the side of the road.

When they got out, Judy looked over the house that Nick grew up in. It was a small place, probably only big enough for a family of three or four. Just like with every other house around, it was rather old, but this one was much more thoughtfully taken care of, though it still showed signs of its age. The siding had faded into an off-white color and some of the corners were damaged.

The grass in the lawn was neatly mowed and contained very few weeds, though a few patches of dirt were visible, likely from spots that rarely saw the sun. The concrete sidewalk was cracked and was about ready to need replacing, but it was not a hazard to anyone walking down the path.

"There it is, Carrots. The house where I grew up. Wonderful, isn't it?"

It wasn't fancy, but it was the perfect idea of a simple suburban home, even if it was in a slightly unsavory area.

"It is great. I like it a lot," Judy replied, and dare she even say, she liked it more than her own home. Where Judy grew up, there wasn't really anything along the lines of privacy. With usually around one hundred and fifty to two hundred rabbits in the house all at once, it made alone time impossible. This neighborhood, while in a rough part of the city, was quiet and it appeared as nothing too eventful ever happened. She never thought about settling down in the suburbs, but this was starting to change her mind a little.

Nick and Judy walked up to the front door and before he knocked, he looked at Judy and winked.

"ZPD, open up!" he yelled in a deep and powerful voice making it sound nothing like himself while knocking hard on her door. Judy facepalmed as she heard panicked footsteps run from a more interior room to right in front of the door. When it was opened up, a terrified vixen took one good look at Nick before she burst into hysterical laughter.

"Nicholas Piberious Wilde! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!? What were you thinking?" she said with exaggerated and sarcastic scorn.

"Just thinking about seeing you! You know I can't resist having a little fun!"

Nick's mother looked like the sweetest mom out there. She wore an apron that was covered in stains from her cooking over her simple blouse and blue jeans, making it obvious that she was quite the chef and used it often.

Her fur was not quite as vibrantly russet as Nick's and showed some grey furs in the usual areas. Judy knew she was an old vixen and she sure showed it, but get rid of the grey and the wear and tear from her age and Judy could tell she was quite the looker in her younger years. And just like Nick, her eyes were a brilliantly vibrant green. She could tell that Nick got plenty of his looks from her.

"Well, come on in, I've got a cricket casserole in the oven right now if you're hungry!" As if not noticing Judy until now, Nick's mother gasped in excitement as she watched the bunny enter her home. "And this must be Judy! Oh, how wonderful it is to finally meet you!" she exclaimed as she wrapped Judy in a big hug. Struggling to breathe from the force of the gesture, Judy managed to get a few words out.

"It's… great… to meet… you… too…" Judy was finally released from the hug and proceeded to pant to catch her breath. "Wow… you're friendly…. Oh, God…"

"Oh, sorry about that, Judy. I'm just so happy to finally get to meet you. Nick has told me so much about you!"

"All good things, I imagine?"

"Of course, dear! But I don't think there's a bad bone in your body! I'm sure you've been the one keeping him straight, right?"

Nick glared at both of them. "You know I'm right here?"

"Yeah," Judy and Nick's mother said at the same time.

"Hey, Nick, aren't you going to introduce me?" Judy mumbled. Nick, realizing that he hadn't done so, rushed over to them and introduced them even though they had already made fun of him together. She didn't really feel the need to be formally introduced to his mother, but Judy just wanted to embarrass him a little more.

"Oh, yeah. Mom, this is my partner, Judy. Judy, this is my mother, Veronica."

"Pleasure to meet you, again," Judy said sarcastically.

"Of course, Judy," Veronica said. Her nose twitched as she caught the scent of her casserole in the oven. "Smells like that casserole is about done… maybe a few more minutes. Wait, Judy, you're not big on the whole insect protein thing, are you?" Judy shook her head no. "Ah, no worry. I can fix you up a salad from the garden in the back. Anything you aren't a fan of?"

"I'll eat anything you've got in there. But if you have carrots, I'll definitely want some of those."

"Of course, honey. Anything for you!" And with that, Veronica disappeared into the backyard to gather ingredients for Judy's salad. Judy liked the way she called her 'honey'. It made her feel like a little kit all over again. Veronica's voice was so smooth and calming that she couldn't figure out why Nick didn't stop by here more often.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick said, beckoning her up the stairs to the second level. "I want to show you something."

Judy followed Nick up the steep and narrow stairwell to the second floor of the house. At the summit, they were given three choices: Go straight into a bedroom, take a left and go into a bathroom, or do a full one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn and go into what appeared to be another bedroom. They went straight and into a small, yet cozy bedroom. It was the bedroom that Nick grew up in.

She looked around the small space, taking in the smell of the cedar lining the closet and the musty scent from clothes being stored in an old oak chest for many years. The wood floor underneath her feet was shiny and felt nice and cool. The walls still had wallpaper on them and it looked like it might have been the original from when the house was first built.

It all reminded her of her own home, but with a lot more fox musk; old, yet welcoming and comfortable.

Judy padded over to a nightstand that had a small picture on it. Two red foxes were posing in a park on a sunny summer afternoon. The vixen, presumably Veronica, had a large, bulging stomach. The tod in the picture was kneeling next to her, one of his paws around the small of her back and the other resting on top of her belly.

"Is this your dad?" Judy asked quietly.

Nick looked at the photo for a second and smiled. "Yeah. This picture was taken a couple of days before I was born. Mom says she stayed at home most of the time when she was pregnant with me. Dad was a bit of a nervous wreck when Mom was pregnant, apparently. He was with her at all times doing whatever he could to help her. She eventually begged enough to get him to take her for a walk. I guess he didn't want anything bad to happen. Looking back, he may have been a bit paranoid."

"I'll say..." Nick looked at Judy and smiled for a second but then moved right back to the photo.

"They had some random person take that picture… they never even got his name. This is the best photo I have of him, so I always kept it on my nightstand so I could see him whenever I wanted." The smile that was once on Nick's face disappeared and made way for something more dejected. Something more… longing. Judy scooched closer to Nick and rested her paw on his forearm. He looked down at her and she gave him a sad smile.

"What happened to him?"

Nick sighed. "He was murdered when I was 7. The killer was never found and the case has been cold ever since. I actually thought about reopening the case if I ever got the time, but we've been so busy. Plus, I don't think anything could be done at this point. He's been gone for 26 years."

Judy wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. She had no idea that Nick's father was killed under mysterious circumstances, and she definitely didn't know it was when he was so young. He was at the ripe age where he was young enough to not understand everything so well but old enough to remember the vivid detail. It was no wonder he never spoke about it until now. Something like that would have been incredibly traumatizing.

"But anyways, this was my room when I was little. Until I was ten I even had a race car bed," Nick said, the last sentence with a great bit of pride.

"You know what, I can totally see you being one of those kids."

"Yeah…" Nick said as if he was going to continue on with a point, but he stopped himself. Judy heard Nick stammer, and just for a second, she was reminded of Gideon until she noticed how uncomfortable he looked.

"Nick, what's the issue? You look like something's bothering you."

This was his chance. They were alone, and he figured she would refrain from a bad reaction because of where they were. All he had to do was say what was on his mind.

"Well, it's just… the case…. I'm a little bit, well… nervous about it all. We're dealing with some pretty dangerous stuff, and well… I'm worried that this might not end well. I kinda want to hand it off to some other officers…"

Nick didn't know how she would react, and he certainly didn't expect her to be completely dumbfounded. Her violet eyes stared back, unblinking and unwavering in their contact with Nick's.

"So, do you not think we have what it takes to do this? Do you not believe in yourself?" She gasped and covered her mouth with both of her paws. "Do you not believe in me?" she said, the last sentence coming out rough and a bit shaky.

"No, no, it's not that I don't believe in us! I just have a bad feeling that one of us is going to get hurt, or even worse…"

"So you want someone else to take the damage and let us get away scot-free?"

"No, that's not what I mean…"

"Then what do you mean? Why this all of the sudden?"

"I know what we're dealing with!" he shouted. "I know what these guys can do, and it's not pretty. If they got a hold of you or me, they wouldn't kill us. They would torture us; inflict so much pain that it would make us beg them to finally end it all! I couldn't let that happen to you!"

"How do you know that they would do that? Why do you know so much about them, Nick? Why!"

"I just do! Now please, just listen to me! _I don't want to do this!_ "

Just as Judy was about to issue her rebuttal, the sound of a door being closed downstairs was heard by both of them. Judy narrowed her eyes and grabbed Nick by the tie, pulling him down to her level. Getting close to his face, she whispered harshly to him.

"Bogo assigned us this case for a reason. Now I know my parents didn't raise me a coward, and refuse to believe that your mother raised you as one! Nothing bad is going to happen and we are going to be fine, ok? I promise that I will not let anything like that happen to either of us."

Nick gulped. He had such high hopes for this, but it turned out just as getting into an argument with Judy normally would. He would put up some valid points, but she would come back even stronger than he would, even if her methods of encouragement were… unorthodox, to put it lightly.

With a sigh, Nick admitted defeat. He pulled Judy into a hug, which at first shocked her a little, but Nick soon felt her melt into his embrace. "I'm sorry, Carrots. I don't know what I was saying. Maybe everything finally caught up with me, but thanks for setting me straight."

Judy separated herself from Nick. "Any day, dumb fox. Now let's go eat. I'm starved!"

With that, they both descended the stairs, the smell of the casserole even more potent than before. It made Nick lick his lips in anticipation, but Judy was about ready to gag. She always hated the smell of anything made with crickets, no matter what form it may have come in.

"C'mon, Carrots. It can't possibly smell that bad. I, for one, think it smells amazing. This was my favorite as a kid." Nick obviously could tell that she was already feeling nauseous, even though she thought she was doing an alright job of hiding it.

"As much as I don't want to offend your mother, you know I can't stand crickets."

"I know, and she knows, too. I'm just giving you crap about it."

"I know. I like your mom. She's very... nurturing. I didn't really expect that."

"Why? What did you expect?" Nick asked. It was a fair question, though Nick was happy to know that Judy enjoyed his mother's company.

"Well, I didn't expect her to be so nice to me, ya know?" Judy mumbled.

"Not really, no."

"Well, in the time I've been alive, one thing I've known was that the majority of foxes and bunnies do not get along, especially when they aren't familiar with one another. She has only known me for a short while and she treats like I'm her long-lost daughter. It's wonderful and I'm glad that we can get along, but it threw me off a bit."

"Judy, you remember when I said that I've told her a lot about you, right? She thinks of you as more than my partner. She thinks of you as the reason I am who I am today. This is her way of thanking you."

"Oh… I guess I didn't really think you were serious before. Did I really change you that much?"

Nick wrapped his arm around Judy's shoulder and tenderly kissed her on the cheek. "More than you know, Carrots. Now let's go eat."

Removing his arm from her shoulder, the two tiny officers walked into the kitchen where Veronica had pulled the cricket casserole out of the oven. It was currently sitting atop the oven and cooling down, trails of steam gently floating up from the dish like a feather. A rather large bowl of home-grown lettuce and other fresh vegetables had been put together and mixed while they were upstairs.

The vixen was at the sink with the water running. When she turned the water off and moved away from the sink, Judy could see she held three large carrots, freshly pulled from the ground. Judy was in awe at how quickly she could put together a meal for four when she originally thought it was just herself. She figured it might have been because Veronica spent many of her nights alone and was just excited to have some company.

"Does that look good enough, dear?" Veronica asked from across the kitchen.

"It looks amazing. You must have a pretty complete garden back there, huh?"

"Sure do. I've gotta have something to do all day when I don't work. Gardening is so much fun!"

Judy figured she could get used to hanging out with Nick's mother.

Veronica already had the table set and dished out the casserole for her and Nick while she filled a perfectly sized bowl of the salad for Judy. With all three of their stomachs growling for food, they sat down and dug in.

Everyone was mostly silent during the majority of the meal. Judy was baffled by the quality of her salad, it being on par with something that her own mother would have made. It probably would have been that much better if it weren't for the constant looming stench of cricket casserole clogging Judy's nasal passages, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Nick, on the other hand, thought everything was wonderful. It was a trip down memory lane getting to tastes his favorite dish from his childhood again. Each bite brought him back to those cold winter days when he would come inside and mom would have cricket casserole waiting for supper.

After Nick had gone through his first and second helpings, he was plenty full and satisfied.

He had a sudden thought pop into his mind. He had wanted to do this for a while now, but it seemed like whenever he stopped by, he always forgot to do it until after he left. Nick stood up from the table.

"I'm going to grab something from my room, then we'll probably take off," he said. Judy nodded and watched him until he disappeared from view. Her bowl of greens had been empty for a while and she was currently nibbling on her last of the three carrots that Veronica picked for her. The vixen was also finished and was just staring at Judy with a content smile on her face. Judy took notice and gave her a crooked smile back. It was then that she realized there was probably something in her teeth. She frantically licked at her teeth and picked inbetween them, but she couldn't seem to dislodge any debris.

"You don't have anything in your teeth, dear," Veronica said, a hint of giggling in her voice.

"Then why were you smiling at me?"

"I was just thinking about Nick. He's doing so well, and it got me to realize that it all started with you. I need to thank you for that." Judy rubbed the back of her neck and tried her best to stop the blushing, but she couldn't really help it.

"Thanks, but I didn't really do anything. I feel like he did this for himself. I just got him started in the right direction."

"No, I don't think you realize exactly who Nick was before you met him. I think his father's death was harder on him than he lets on. He wasn't exactly in the right mind when he took off for the streets for good. I think he was about fifteen when he did that. There were times when I wouldn't see him for weeks at a time, and when that time slowly became longer and longer, I would wonder if he was lying dead in an alley or something bad like that. Eventually, he stopped coming back altogether."

"Oh…. I had no idea he was like that before…"

"Yeah. When he stopped showing up, it made me realize how much I screwed up as a mother. I didn't help him because he always said he was fine. I knew he wasn't deep down, but He never showed any signs of struggling. I should have done more for him."

"You couldn't have really done anything. He wouldn't have opened up unless he really wanted to."

"Oh, I knew that, but some part of me wished that he would just let me in. In the end, I suppose things turned out alright, but it got me thinking of what I missed out on because I didn't reach out. I didn't get to dance with him on his wedding day or get to hold my grandbabies the day they were born. Though, I suppose there's still time for those things now that he's turned his life around."

 _Oh, God…. What am I doing…?_

Hearing those words from Nick's own mother made Judy realize that her choice to be with Nick was not just about them, but about her, too. Judy was brought back to the previous night and the main reason that their argument took such a bad turn.

Judy wasn't willing to have children.

If one of Veronica's dreams was to have grandchildren one day, was it fair for her to live the rest of her life with Nick? The vixen that had only treated her like one of her own would be deprived of one of her deepest longings, and all because Judy didn't want to have children.

But then she thought even more, especially about the things she said last night. Part of it was a lie, and she knew it. Stress had gotten the better of her and she said some stupid things. She needed to come clean with Nick and apologize, but it needed to be the right time.

She had to say something about her and Nick. It didn't feel right to keep such a big secret from his mother. In fact, she didn't really like keeping it a secret from anyone anymore. They had to restrain themselves every second they were in public and by the end of the day they didn't really have the drive to be intimate. It was fine at first, but it was starting to get a little frustrating.

She knew that Nick wanted to keep it secret, but at this point, she had to do something about it. It was slowly killing her from the inside, and eventually, she felt it might make her do something she would regret. To add to her reasoning, it had been so long since they became official, so it should be made public. Just as she was about to begin her confession to Veronica, Nick came back down the stairs.

"Ready to go, Judy?" Nick said gleefully.

She flicked her eyes to Veronica, intent on telling her the truth about her and Nick's relationship. It would be so easy. All it took was for her to say a few words, but with Nick there, she couldn't find it in her heart to go against his wishes.

"Yeah… I suppose we should," she replied quietly. Nick turned to his mother and gave her a loving hug, completely unaware of what Judy was thinking. She kept to herself while Nick said his goodbyes.

"I love you, mom. I'll try and stop by more often."

"Of course, dear. Remember, I'm always open for you. Stop by whenever you get the time!"

Veronica turned to Judy and smiled at her as she opened her arms for a hug. "Don't think I've forgotten about you, Judy."

Being brought out of her trance, she did her best to smile and embraced Veronica. Though she appeared to be fine, her mind was dwelling on some truly heavy things. It was all she could think about.

They left Nick's childhood home in two states. Nick was happy as could be getting to see his mother for the first time in a while. In his pocket rested the photo of his father that he showed her earlier. The thought of grabbing the object didn't cross his mind until they were already about to leave. He figured it would be better to sit on his nightstand at home instead of in his childhood room.

Judy was in no state to be working, stuck in the middle of the hardest decision she would ever have to make. Her feelings for Nick felt more real and stronger than ever. Thinking that she might have lost him because of the previous night made her come to that realization that she loved him more than words could describe.

It suddenly occurred to her that this wasn't her decision to make. It wasn't up to her to decide Nick's happiness. He could do it himself, which caused everything to become clear. She knew what she had to do. Their relationship was going to hang on whatever Nick wanted. Whether that was with her or without her, she was going to accept it, because Nick's happiness was that important to her.

As they departed from the house to the station, Judy looked at Nick. He was paying attention to the road as he drove the pair back to the station, not noticing her watching him. She wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. It wasn't the right time. In her mind, it was never the right time for a discussion like that. Maybe it was just nerves, but she had a bad feeling about it all.

* * *

 **A/N: So, there you have it. You obviously know how the rest of that goes.**

 **Next chapter we are going to get deeper into the case. Nick and Judy will do some more investigating, which comes in the form of a stakeout. Now that they know of a drug deal that The Reds are participating in, they might be able to get some more information.**

 **What did you think? Good? Bad? Let me know with a review! As usual, I always love hearing what you have to say! And of course, if you haven't already, please follow and favorite!**

 **Thanks for reading, and as always, take care, have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	8. My Turn

**A/N: I've got a nice and long chapter for you today! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Just off the side of South Canyon Highway, crickets chirped in the dark of night. This far away from the city, the only light was that of the moon, however, tonight was an exception. While the sky was clear of any clouds, tonight happened to be a new moon, leaving the countryside and any land outside of city limits to be bathed in darkness.

This particular bend in the road was dead silent save for the gentle night breeze that blew through the trees that lined the old stretch of highway, rustling leaves and branches as it blew through them. But as most roads go, they don't stay silent forever, and as headlights appeared around the bend the crickets scattered from their spots and gave their song a moment's rest.

The only vehicle on the road looked like any ordinary family sedan. It was a dark charcoal grey with window tints that would be considered illegal on a normal road car. But this was no ordinary vehicle. Red and blue lights were hidden in the rear window and front grill, radar guns were also mounted up front and in the back, and the rear seats were dedicated to a specific type of person: lawbreakers.

Piloting the undercover police car was Officer Nick Wilde, the first fox cop in history and current romantic partner of his work partner sitting, and about falling asleep, in the passenger seat. While the previous night made him question if that second part would be true for much longer, he didn't let that much affect his performance while on the job. He had done a decent job of staying focused while working, but with this being a defining moment for both of them it was getting to be difficult to stay in reality.

She gave him a simple choice: Follow his own path, or continue down the path that they were already on together. It seemed simple on the outside, but it was much more complicated than that. Neither path was clearly defined with an ending, making it almost impossible to attempt an educated guess on the better of the two.

Nick went over the pros and cons in his head for the millionth time. He felt that no matter how many times he did the answer would still be a mystery.

If he and Judy broke up it would open his horizons to find someone who would fulfill everything that he wanted in life. Being the only fox cop made getting a potential partner easier than it would have been a couple of years ago.

But then the cons: He may never feel like someone else could make him happy like Judy did. Nick never considered himself to be a particularly romantic individual, but Judy made him want to be that. She made him want to make people nauseous when they were together because they were that in love with each other.

And then there was the issue of his job and their friendship. He felt like they might be able to go back to normal after three months as a couple, but it wasn't a guarantee, and it certainly wasn't the most likely outcome.

If he stayed with Judy, he could be happy with her, but for how long? Eventually he would get the itch to settle down, and right now Judy didn't want to do that. He didn't know if she would _ever_ want to do that. She wasn't the kind of rabbit to just drop everything and have kits. She loved her job too much. She had a burning desire to make the world a better place. She wanted to travel the world.

That was her life. He didn't know if it would ever involve him on a deeper level than friendship.

Of course, she later said that she did want to get married some day, but how long would that be? 5 years? 10 years? Even longer? He knew nobody lived forever, and in their profession, it was very possible that one or both of them would be killed in action. They didn't know when some crazy person would pull a gun on them and end it for one of them.

He didn't like to think of that happening, but it was one of the many risks of their job.

And the kicker: Judy didn't want children. While Nick was perfectly fine with adopting, the fact that Judy didn't even want to do that was a bit shocking, and it nearly ruined everything they had going. If only she would just change her mind about—

 _Don't even go there, Nick. I'm not about to try and change her just because of that. I need to respect her wishes._

Difficult didn't even begin to describe this decision. There was simply too much they didn't know. He just needed to choose and take whatever hand he gets dealt.

Life was like a game of poker. Sometimes you get a good hand right off the bat, other times you need to work for your victories. Other times you just get crap and take the easy way out.

Fold.

Even though it was right there, Nick didn't see the easy way as an option anymore. A few years ago, maybe, but not now. He'd taken the easy way for most of his life, conforming to society's views on foxes. That wasn't who he was anymore. He knew what he wanted in life, and there was no way he would just quit without a second thought. He'd make the most of life, not hesitating to take a risk every once in awhile. His only issue was that the risk he took going either direction with his relationship would affect him, and Judy, for the rest of their lives.

Nick looked at the road advancing in front of him, stealing quick glances of his partner in the passenger seat. Her head leaned against the door and he could see her beautiful eyes slowly close only to reopen over and over again. Part of him wished she would fall asleep. Every moment they were together was an opportunity for their issues to resurface, which was something that couldn't happen while on the job. It didn't matter as much while they were alone in the car, but it still took the focus away from the pertinent things.

Bringing his full attention back to driving, the fox suddenly realized that their turn was coming up faster than originally anticipated, requiring him to depress the brake harder than usual. The sudden negative acceleration pushed both of them forward into their seatbelts. Judy's head flew forward, effectively bringing her out of her state of half-sleep and waking her up. Her ears shot up from their previously splayed back position as if in alarm. Nick's braking must've startled her.

Nick moved the wheel abruptly to make their turn which tossed both of them towards the right side of the car. The road they now traveled on was gravel, winding through the trees and much narrower when compared to the highway.

"Sorry about that… Forgot where we needed to turn," Nick spoke softly. It wasn't all that late at night, but it was late enough that even he was feeling a bit tired as well. Judy rubbed her eyes and yawned quietly, effectively giving her a temporary boost in energy.

"It's alright. I suppose we're almost in position, aren't we? I should probably wake up."

"Yeah…"

Earlier in the day, the two tiny officers took the liberty of scouting the area to understand the best places for them to hide to watch the deal take place. In the end, they didn't request any other officers to accompany them. Nick figured that there would be no need, as they only planned to observe. Perhaps as the gang members left they would pursue and request backup when necessary, but at the moment they didn't think it was required.

The church was still nearly a mile down the road, built in a clearing in a small valley between two mountains. Deep within the woods that South Canyon Highway snaked through, it was hidden incredibly well from the general public and as Jerry Foxson had put it, a good spot for a drug deal.

The gravel road that led to the old abandoned church also contained a couple of small inlets that led to the position that Judy mentioned. It was a small clearing deep enough into the foliage that their car would be concealed quite well. Its matte finish combined with the dark color and darkness of the night made it nearly invisible from the gravel road.

As the car was pulled into position, Nick shut it off and got out, Judy following suit. Opening the trunk of the undercover car, Nick dug through the equipment until he found a car cover in camouflage, one that would effectively prevent the car from being seen even from a much closer distance. Nick threw the cover over the vehicle and Judy helped get it into position until the entire car was fully cloaked.

"Alright, let Bogo know that we are moving into Position Beta," Judy whispered.

Nick grabbed his radio and spoke softly into it. "This is Uniform Charlie 237, the car is in Position Alpha. We are en route to Position Beta. E.T.A. eight minutes."

Nick and Judy waited for a second until Bogo came back on the radio.

"Copy, Uniform Charlie 237. Let us know when you are in Position Beta. After that, you will initiate all radio communications."

Nick looked at Judy and nodded and they began their walk to their position. As they grew farther apart from their car, Nick looked back to where it was. Even with his night-vision he only see a tiny bit of it's outline. For anyone else, they would have no idea it was there.

The walk to their position would be nearly a mile in length, but they did not walk on the road leading to the church. While they both had on industrial grade scent blocker, they didn't want to risk having anything tip off the gang of their presence. Nick knew that the scent blocker was working because he couldn't smell Judy during the ride there. He knew she was nervous, and she always smelled extra pungent when she was nervous, not that it was a bad thing for him. He rather enjoyed her scent.

And to further increase their hiding abilities, Nick and Judy ditched their blue uniforms for all black ones, identical to their usual attire except for the color.

Both of them were also given facemasks which would conceal them even more. With everything on, they were dressed entirely in black from head to toe.

As they approached the church, they directed themselves in the direction of their intended position. As they walked past the building, Nick looked at it in the darkness, which made the deteriorating structure all the more ominous.

Settled at the back of a rather large gravel parking lot was the church itself. While it may have been white in it's earlier years, it was now almost entirely bare wood, the paint having chipped off from years of weathering. The parking lot was in just as bad a shape as the church. It could hardly even be called a parking lot due to how many weeds had grown in, making it appear as a less fertile patch of ground where only certain weeds could manage to grow. Behind the church was a field of tallgrass and further off in the distance the woods continued.

The doors of the church faced the road leading directly to it, which drove east and west. Nick and Judy were headed to the northwest corner of the lot. It gave them a great view of the whole area because it sloped upward, giving them a higher angle over the lot.

As they became situated in their positions, both Nick and Judy prepared themselves for a long night. Nick knew that it could be awhile before anyone showed up. It wasn't very late, only a little after 9:30, and so they would probably be waiting for at least an hour. Luckily for them, it seemed like the perfect night to just sit and wait.

Hidden behind some foliage, the two officers sat down on the dirt, quietly keeping to themselves. As they sat, Judy slowly scooted closer to Nick until she was leaning against him. When he felt her touch, he brought his arm around her body and pulled her even closer.

Their relationship had taken a hard hit the last couple of nights, so it was a nice change of pace for them to just sit and not worry about anything for a while. But Nick knew Judy well enough to expect what she said next.

"Have you made a choice?"

His mind wanted to avoid this talk, but his tongue was apparently ready with a response before he even thought about what he wanted to say.

"I still need time," he whispered. "This is a tough decision. When I'm confident in an answer I'll let you know. Until then…"

"Pretend everything is just fine? I don't know if I can do that, Nick. You know me. I can't wait for anything."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait."

Judy sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even brought it up. You're right, I don't even know what I was thinking…"

Nick hated this. He felt a thick tension in the air between them. It was like they had only known each other for a few days and were still awkward around each other. It seemed like every single conversation between them that wasn't about work was the hardest thing he'd ever been faced with. It was almost like he didn't even know her anymore.

Of course, he thought she would be open to children someday, so he wasn't entirely wrong.

But what could he really do? It was Judy, after all. When she was set on something, it took an awful lot to get her to change her mind. Looking back on what she went through as a child with literally everyone going against her dream and telling her that she didn't have what it took made that even clearer. She didn't stop for anyone, and to a point, it was admirable.

The only issue was that disposition made her destined to live a very lonely life. If it weren't for Nick, she would probably still be single, and probably would be for the rest of her life. He knew rabbits, and no buck would ever get close to a doe that didn't want to have children.

Even with this one hiccup in their relationship, Nick still loved her. He couldn't really say that he'd ever felt this way about anyone else, well, except for maybe his mother, but that was a different kind of love. This was completely unlike anything he'd ever felt, but it actually scared him. He didn't want to scare her away, especially because they were such good friends before. If at all possible, he wanted to keep that friendship alive.

They day they hooked up was filled with mixed emotions, but it ultimately worked out pretty well. He never wanted to be up front about his feelings for Judy because he thought it would be too risky. He knew that she might possibly find some things out about him that he didn't want her to see. Now that they were dangerously close to the part of him that he didn't want her to know about, it made him feel even more uneasy.

"Are you sure that Jerry was telling the truth? This all seems a little bit too good to be true," Judy said. Nick sighed. He understood her misgivings, but he knew that Jerry was someone they could trust, and even if the information was wrong, the worst that could happen would involve them sitting in the woods for several hours.

"I think there's only one way we can find out. And besides, he knows that giving false information to the police is a big no-no," Nick said, waggling his finger like his mother had done to him on many occasions when he was little.

Judy released a contented sigh. She figured Nick was right. He was the one, after all, that knew him the most.

As they sat, Nick leaned up against the trunk of a tree and lightly stroked Judy's side. He felt his eyes slowly start to feel heavy. He fought against the feeling of sleep, but eventually, his entire world was black.

* * *

The tiniest of sounds.

That was all it took for Judy's ears to shoot up from their down position and move towards the direction the sound came from. The sound waking her from her half-sleep, she sat up straight and moved her eyes to where she heard the sound coming from. She focused solely on that point in space, hearing the sound get louder and louder. It was a car… no, there was more than one. She looked around, seeing that the night was in full force, her eyes barely able to see because of a lack of light from the moon.

She saw Nick. He was asleep. She shook him and whispered quietly to rouse him.

"Nick, wake up. Someone's coming."

The sleepy fox woke slowly. He squirmed in his spot, neck stiff from the strange angle his head rested at while he accidentally took a nap. He turned his head, seeing headlights shining through the foliage. The vehicles moved slowly, almost completely silent. Nick looked back to the lot in front of the church. It wasn't empty anymore. A single black car sat in the middle of it with four individuals standing next to the car, three right in front of it and one person ahead of them. The three at the back held assault rifles. Nick didn't want to know what kind of trouble they had to go through to get them.

The other vehicles, Nick could see they were large sedans, crept up to the first car, stopping when they were a respectable distance away. The lights turned off and they watched two individuals get out of each car, a red fox and a panther from each. Judy heard the doors close with a thunk.

"I hope you have everything I asked for," one of the panthers said. Nick could hear him, but not very well. He still didn't recognize the voice at all.

"When have I ever let you down? And besides, we all know who's actually running the show, here."

This voice was more penetrating. Deep, but booming, almost like Chief Bogo, but this was more sinister. He could tell whoever owned the voice had been weathered by age and experience. It was unfortunately, familiar to Nick. He knew exactly who it was.

"Nick. is that…?"

"Marvin Rathmore. You bet your fluffy butt it is. Those look like some guards behind him."

Judy looked at the red fox from their hiding spot. Even from such a distance and in the dark, she could tell that this guy was not to be messed with. He definitely didn't sound like the nicest person out there.

"I can assure you that I know that very well—"

"Cut the crap and get me my delivery! I don't have all night. There are still things I need to take care of…"

"Of course! Of course!"

Nick and Judy watched as shadows danced around the two sedans opening the rear doors and the trunks, pulling out packages of some sort. Neither of the two could tell exactly what they were. The four individuals from the sedans piled the "delivery" into the rear of the first car without even being asked to. When it was all finished, the supposed leader of the other group went back in front of Rathmore.

"So, you have the cash?"

The sudden and sharp sound of metal sliding on metal came to Nick and Judy's ears and a tension became instantly noticeable in the air. Everyone participating in the delivery went eerily silent. Nick could barely tell that Rathmore had pulled out his cleaver, and it was currently pressed against the throat of his supplier. Guns from both sides were raised, but the night remained as silent as ever.

"That's all of it?" Marvin whispered into the ears of the panther, who was currently held in a headlock by the smaller red fox.

"Y-Yes... That's all of it. 100 kilos. I swear to God, it's everything… please don't kill me…"

The blade was removed from his throat and Marvin nodded to one of his guards, who proceeded to go the back of their car and grab a bag and throw it to their superior. Marvin tossed the bag to the panther, who fumbled around with it until it was secure in his paws.

"That's your money. Unless you think you need to count it, you should leave. Things are about to get a little bit interesting…"

Nick looked at Judy, brow furrowed and completely confused by what they just heard. Nick shrugged his shoulders and kept looking at the scene before them. He watched as the two sedans drove away back down the twisty gravel road, kicking up dust as they left. Now, all that remained was Marvin Rathmore and his three guards. All four of them were just standing in the same spots as they had been. But Nick noticed something peculiar about the direction Marvin was looking.

He was staring right at their position.

Neither of them had made a sound since they got there, and certainly nothing that they could have heard without really listening for something specific. Right as Nick was about to try and get Judy to take off, Marvin turned to face another direction, once again staring blankly for a while. Nick sighed, glad that they had just dodged a bullet.

Nick didn't hear it, but Judy definitely heard some sort of footsteps from behind them, causing her to snap her head behind them. However, her eyes found nothing out of the ordinary and only saw foliage. She kept looking for a second, but slowly brought her head back to looking forward. That was when the noise Judy heard returned.

Before he could look behind him, Nick felt a tiny prick on the back of his neck, and his paw shot straight to the point to find out what caused it. Everything seemed to slow down when he felt a tiny dart sticking out from the back of his neck.

Wide eyes turning to meet Judy's, Nick felt a brief moment of panic when he saw a similar dart in the back of Judy's neck.

She collapsed first. Her size probably attributed to the drug working faster. Nick tried to crawl over to her but he soon felt his body weaken to the point of him falling onto the forest floor. His last sight was that of Judy's big, violet eyes closing on the world around her.

And then everything went black.

* * *

Nick's head shot up from it's previous position. He felt his neck, stiff like it had metal rods stuck inside it, the pain from moving it so suddenly pulsing like his rapid heartbeat. Nick tried to soothe the pain by rubbing his neck, but found that to be unfortunately impossible. Lit by the light of a single lamp, Nick saw that his paws were tied to the arms of a wooden chair. With his surroundings becoming more evident, he saw that his legs were as well.

"Judy!"

He sniffed the air. It was moist and dank with a scent that gave Nick a headache. He could hear water dripping from some nondescript location from wherever he was.

"Nick…?"

That voice, it was Judy, alright, but she definitely didn't sound good. Nick tried to turn his head to look at her, but he couldn't. She was directly behind him, most definitely tied to a chair just like him.

"Judy! Are you alright?" Nick asked, hoping that she was more than alright. He hoped there was a chance for her to free him.

"I think so…. Where are we?"

"I don't know…. Can you move at all?"

"No. I'm tied to this stupid chair," she said as she struggled to get free, but to no avail. "What happened, Nick?"

"I don't want to be right, but I think Rathmore just found us…"

The thought was impossible. They did everything to not be detected. Silently they crawled to their location and used every possible preparation to not be detected through smell.

"You'd be right, Nicholas… I am so glad you could join me."

That voice… so brooding, so terrifying. The very embodiment of terror in the city of Zootopia. The very thing that Nick had been trying so hard to forget.

Nick searched the darkness for some sort of shape, but he saw nothing. The soft patter of slow and plodding footsteps was heard from behind him. Marvin walked up to Judy, softly caressing her cheek as he passed by her.

"And how nice of you to bring one of your little friends, too. You've really outdone yourself this time. I never believed the ZPD would hire a criminal such as yourself…" Marvin dipped down low to Nick's ear and whispered menacingly to him. "Or do they not know about your little secret?"

"Nick… what is he talking about?" Judy asked nervously.

"He's talking nonsense!" he spat, though he knew that to be untrue. This was what Nick feared. The time had come and Judy was sure to find out sooner or later.

"Nonsense?!" Marvin shouted, bewildered. "I find it very hard to believe that you have forgotten about what you did, but!" Marvin held up a digit, "there are more important things to discuss. We have so much catching up to do!"

As the aging fox paced around the two, Judy was finally able to get a good look at him. Only one word came to mind the moment she saw him clearly for the first time.

Battle-scarred.

And scars he had in abundance. His graying fur contained plenty of bald spots where it no longer grew, the tell-tale signs of a substantial wound, many of which were on his arms. His eyes were almost completely black; no color evident in his irises. Every time he glanced at Judy she felt him staring at her, like he was looking into her mind. Each time he did so, she could see him smile just a little bit. It was small, but it scared her even more. She looked at his hip, the shiny, yet scratched surface of his cleaver gleamed in the lamplight, threatening to chop her up without hesitation.

"I must give credit where credit is due! You hid from me. Me! Nobody has ever done that! It's been what? Twelve, no… thirteen years? After all that time, you thought you could just stop hiding? Did you think you won the game?"

"How did you know where we were?" Nick asked. Marvin smiled and pointed at Nick.

"I figured you'd ask that. I had a lookout back at the church. I wouldn't usually do that, but someone very kind decided to give me some info." The older tod swung his body to the side, gesturing to the space behind him.

Nick looked at where Marvin gestured. Another fox walked into Nick's sight; a fox that he hated to be so familiar.

"You…. You son of a bitch! You sold us out?" Nick screamed, seeing who he thought had been a long-time-no-see friend. Jerry stood before Nick, a grin much like Nick's own plastered on his backstabbing muzzle.

"Sorry, bro. It was too easy!"

"But… why would you lie to me?"

"It's merely business, Nick. This was the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Nick panted in anger. He had been completely taken advantage of by someone he considered to be his friend. If he wasn't tied to the chair, he'd have an awful lot of fun wiping that cheeky grin off of Jerry's face.

"Yes, of course. The opportunity of a lifetime…"

Marvin's words turned both Nick and Judy's heads toward the two other foxes standing before them. They looked just in time to see Marvin raising a pistol up to Jerry's head and pulling the trigger without a hint of hesitation. Nick and Judy both turned away and closed their eyes as the shot rang out.

The blast from the weapon made everyone's ears ring, but Marvin didn't seem to care in the slightest. Nick had a hard time hearing things for a few seconds after the shot went off, a sharp ringing being the only thing he could hear. When Nick opened his eyes, he could see blood splattered onto his uniform. The now deceased corpse of his childhood friend-turned-enemy lay on the concrete floor, blood spilling out of the two holes in his skull.

"Too bad your life is over…. Hope you celebrated your win prematurely." Nick looked up at Marvin in horror, baffled at how nonchalantly he spoke after committing murder in front of two police officers. From behind him, Nick could hear Judy on the verge of tears. He wanted so desperately to comfort her, but it was impossible. Nick felt completely useless.

"Wha… I… Why…" was all Nick could manage.

"He was useless to me; a complete waste of space. Getting you to me was the only good thing he ever did," Marvin said, clearly indifferent to the act of killing. HIs words were so bland with very little emotion. There were probably so many kills to his name that it didn't affect him anymore.

This couldn't continue. It was traumatizing enough for him and Judy. He didn't want things to get any worse because he knew that there were only two other people Marvin could take his anger out on. The only issue was that Nick didn't know why he was doing this.

"What do you want from us?" Nick asked. Marvin looked directly into Nick's eyes. His cold, blank stare being replaced by a chuckle and a big smile from the older fox.

"From both of you? Absolutely nothing. The rabbit is just a bonus for me. The only thing I want is from you. I know you could take a guess as to what that is," he said, leaning down so he was eye-level with Nick.

"Enlighten me," Nick spat, eyes growing narrow and clearly not wanting to play games. Marvin chuckled. He _did_ want to play games.

Marvin began pacing back and forth in front of Nick. "A little bit of an attitude, I see. Care to think back about thirteen years? What were you doing back then, hmm?"

Nick didn't answer. He knew it was hopeless to keep this from Judy anymore, but he still didn't want to break the news to her right now. It wasn't a good time, but of course, it was never a good time to Nick. Marvin stopped and turned towards Nick.

"I want you dead, Nick. It's as simple as that. I would think you could spot a good deal when you see one. You took three lives, so I will take one; yours."

"Nick… what is he talking about?" Judy asked from behind, a hint of desperation playing through her words.

"It's not what it sounds like…" Nick said, hoping to calm Judy down, but his words were quickly followed by Marvin's own response.

"Oh, this is just wonderful!" Marvin looked back at Nick. "You really thought nobody would ever find out about this? You haven't told her?"

The old tod broke out into full-bellied laughter, nearly falling on the ground it was so hard. Nick watched as the fox continued to laugh as he pulled his pistol from its holster, stopped laughing, and shoved it deep into Nick's forehead, the pressure of which hurt immensely.

Marvin suddenly grew very stern, narrowing his eyes and growling. "I could do it right now, do you understand that?" Nick stared at the face behind the barrel of a gun, his body beginning to tremble in fear. "It would be so easy. Just the twitch of my finger and your brain goes out the back of your head!" Marvin pushed harder, causing Nick to close his eyes and wait for the shot to go off, ending everything. Nick held his breath and felt the gun rapidly leave his forehead. He exhaled in shaky breaths.

"But not right now…" Marvin spoke softly, almost whispering. "It would be too easy. You aren't a threat to me in the slightest. But later… we'll meet again." Marvin snapped his fingers and two other foxes, presumably members of The Reds, walked forward with cloths in their paws. Nick knew what came next. They would be knocked unconscious and left somewhere all alone.

Judy suddenly froze when a sound came from her chest. She had left her radio on and Chief Bogo had just come on, asking if they were alright. Marvin stopped the two other foxes and walked forward until he had his gun pointed at the back of Judy's head.

"I'll push the button. You'll tell him everything is alright. Got it?"

Judy slowly turned her head to meet Marvin's cold, dead eyes. She shook her head rapidly up and down. The fox's thumb pressed the button on her radio and she spoke shakily into it.

"Everything's fine, Chief. We'll be back soon."

Marvin released the button, smiling at how easily Judy followed his order. He'd been in this position for years and still, he loved how easily a mammal could be manipulated with a gun pointed at the back of their head.

"Why go through all the effort? Why not just let me go?" came Nick's voice. Marvin turned to him and placed his paw on Nick's shoulder, the barrel of the gun pointing at his head.

"Because Nick… this is about punishment. You offended me, and now you must face your punishment. You should know plenty about this. After all: Like father like son…."

Marvin smiled as he walked away from Nick, taking a glance at the shocked look on his muzzle as he finally realized what he just heard.

"You…. You killed my father…?"

A devious smile was all he got from Marvin, the old tod quietly chuckling to himself. As it sank into Nick's mind, he slowly became more and more angry, shaking in his chair until he burst forth in rage that he'd never felt before. Marvin began walking away slowly when Nick screamed.

"You monster! I swear to God, I'll end you if it's the last thing I do!" Unphased by Nick's outburst, Marvin kept walking away, his smile growing larger and larger as he listened to Nick's anger well up behind him. "Get back here, you coward! Fight me like a man!"

In one swift motion, Marvin was back near Nick, his gun pointed directly at Nick's forehead again. However, Nick was too angry to care about the gun that threatened to kill him. He knew, deep down, that Marvin didn't have the guts to kill Nick right then and there.

"Do it! Pull the trigger, you piece of shit! DO IT!" Nick screamed using so much force that his voice broke into falsetto at the very end, leaving his voice slightly more raspy than before. Nick lowered his head, panting after releasing all of the air in his lungs from his screaming. Marvin looked down on Nick, not even desiring to laugh at the fox before him. He was such a disgrace to his kind, one that betrayed the very nature of the fox entirely, and it disgusted him. All he did was lower the gun, holster it, snap his fingers and walk away, disappearing into the shadows before them.

As he vanished, two more foxes emerged from the darkness wielding tranq guns. They aimed at Nick and Judy, Nick almost presenting his neck to them if only to make the darkness come faster. A quick and painless prick later and Nick was giving the henchmen the death stare of a lifetime before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and both him and Judy were out cold once again.

The two foxes looked at their unconscious victims and cut the ropes binding their limbs to the chairs. Carrying them away into a van, they looked at their boss, who seemed no happier than Nick before they knocked him out.

"Boss, why didn't you just kill him now? Don't you want this to be over?" one of the foxes said.

"Not yet," Marvin replied quietly. With the bodies loaded, Marvin set out to the drop off location. A short and silent drive later, Marvin ordered his henchmen to unload the bodies with as little care as possible. A moment later they were back in the van and they took off from the scene.

"Don't you think it could be hard to find him after this? I wouldn't think he'd be dumb enough to come looking for you after that."

Marvin snickered deeply. "Believe me, after I take care of some more things he'll come running to me, begging for me to end his life. I guarantee it. It's all a game, you see. Give it some time to sink in and he'll want me dead more than ever. _That_ is what I've been waiting for for thirteen long years…. I've just been waiting for my turn."

Gulping at their boss's words, the van drove off into the distance, away from the fox and rabbit who remained out cold. Even from gang members who had seen every kind of evil their leader could dole out, they still felt a tinge of dread for what was about to come.

* * *

 _A Few Hours Later…_

Flashing lights…

Police sirens…

A terrible headache…

Blurry vision…

The sights that Judy woke up to were as confusing as they could get. Her memory was a little fuzzy, but she felt things coming back to her as her vision cleared up.

The sky was dark. None of the police officers that were there looked very happy to be on the scene. A big pair of paws grabbed her and she squirmed in their grasp, but her body was still too weak to hold any fighting chance. She was sat down in the back of an ambulance. Looking up, she briefly saw the orange and black stripes of a tiger officer… couldn't quite see the face to recognize them, though.

Judy looked to her left. Nick was sat right next to her.

 _Took three lives…_

It started to come back in full force. She remembered Marvin Rathmore playing with Nick's emotions like a doll. She remembered Jerry Foxson and the way his head exploded upon being shot at point-blank range, the bloody aftermath of which still stained her fur. Dried specks of blood still clung to her, a dark and dreary reminder of what she had witnessed earlier.

 _Hiding from her…_

"Nick…" Judy began. She paused, hoping to find the words that she needed to say. He looked at her, a defeated frown making him look like a completely different person. He knew that he'd lost this battle. Whatever he had been hiding from her before was about to come out.

"We need to talk. I need to hear _everything._ "

* * *

 **A/N: Graphic enough? It was painful for me to write that scene, but I feel like Marvin wouldn't have been crazy enough if he didn't do something absolutely insane while he intimidated Nick and Judy. He must really not think Nick could do anything to him if he didn't kill him right then and there.**

 **Now we know why Nick was so afraid of working on this case. He had a bad feeling that this might happen and now he has no choice but to tell Judy about this thing that happened in the past…. What could it be?**

 **Of course, don't forget to follow and favorite if you like the story! Reviews are always appreciated, too!**

 **Next chapter is going to tell Nick's story from the past and what he's been hiding from her. Should be a good one!**

 **As strange as it is to say, this story is getting kinda close to the end. It won't be too many more chapters and it will all be over, but there is still plenty of action to come.**

 **Thanks for following, favoriting, reviewing, and reading. As always, take care. Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	9. Male Vulpes vulpes, Age 20

**A/N: Sorry about everything lately… but** _ **Pieces**_ **is back! Full A/N down below!**

* * *

 _Thirteen Years Ago..._

Job interviews can be a little bit intimidating. The short amount of time that they last say nothing about what can result from them; anything could happen. One moment you may be down on your luck, hoping for dear life that you can get back on your feet after losing your previous job, and the next you'd be the happiest person in the world, finding out that you were selected for a certain position.

This was no ordinary job interview.

There were no postings on the internet, no advertisement, and no talk about this job at all. To most, it wouldn't even be considered a job in the slightest, but for Nick, this was the dream.

He'd never had a real job. For the majority of his life, he'd been his own boss, doing whatever he felt like and whatever made him the most money. Little did he realize that the real cash was not where he was prior to his current situation.

He knew the proper etiquette for interviews. Get cleaned up. Wear nice clothes. Smile constantly and always maintain eye contact. For some reason, he felt like smiling would do nothing to land him this job.

Sitting in his usual attire, a dirty tropical shirt and a pair of pants that he couldn't remember the last time they'd been washed properly. For this occasion, however, he decided to be a little more formal. A striped tie hung loosely around his neck, the orange stripes clashing terribly with his green shirt. He figured it would be fine, this being the only tie he'd ever owned… well, found, actually.

Nick was waiting outside in a dark alleyway, passing the time until he was to meet with his potential future employer. He twiddled his thumbs and hissed a tune as he looked around the alley, seeing nothing of interest.

The irritating sound of a rusty door opening caused Nick's ears to twitch, and his head followed the sound, his eyes meeting with a shadowy figure several feet away.

"Come on in, Nicholas," the deep and brooding voice commanded. Nick said nothing as he stood up and gulped down all of his anxieties, putting on a confident face. The figure, an older red fox, allowed Nick in first. He kept staring into his eyes, wondering just what kind of mammal actually saw the world through them.

Nick was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere he felt like he stumbled into. Based on the outside of the building, he was expecting something much like that, unwelcoming and dirty. But instead, he was presented with a cozy little office, complete with a nice oak desk and a comfy chair behind it. It had an interesting smell, Nick being reminded of a freshly mowed lawn, though it had a masculine tone to it.

Nick was instructed to sit in the only chair in front of the desk, and he was disappointed to find out that it was not nearly as comfortable as the other chair looked, though it was better than the ground outside of the building.

As the other fox lowered himself into the comfy desk chair, Nick finally got a good look at him. He was clearly older than Nick, but he already knew he was thirty-three. His eyes seemed to have no color in them, just two black orbs staring into his soul. Nick was drawn to his forearms and paws where he noticed a couple of impressive scars.

"I don't care about what you have to offer." Nick nearly flinched at the harshness of his voice when it was just them. Outside, the most intimidating tones were drowned out by the sound of the city around them. Being in a silent and isolated atmosphere made him a truly terrifying person to be around.

"I'm sorry?" Nick asked, not understanding the statement that this fox had just made.

"I've been in this position for a short few months. All I've learned is that there is nothing you can tell me that will make me want to let you in."

This wasn't good. He hadn't even said anything and this interview was already going south. Was he really that bad at job interviews?

"All you can do is show me what you've got."

 _That's a relief…_

"And how might I do that, sir?" Nick asked. He had to refrain from smiling at how confident his words came out.

"Well, you've already done part of it. You're here, aren't you?" Nick raised an eyebrow at the older fox. He stood up and began pacing around the room, continuing his statement.

"It shows me something… something essential. You aren't afraid. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a coward. The fact that you want to be a part of the most hated and feared gang in Savannah Central tells me that you don't have fear; you're not afraid to get your paws dirty. I like that."

Nick smiled, but it was short-lived as the older tod slammed his paws down on his desk, making Nick jump a couple of inches out of his own seat.

"But don't think that means that you're automatically in. I don't want to see people go through here only to find out that they don't have what it takes. Those are the ones that get removed. Over the next couple of months you will do exactly as I say and do it well, otherwise, your tail will hang above my mantle, and I mean that quite literally." As he finished, the fox placed a large and shiny blade on the desk for Nick to see. He stared at it, amazed by its size and appearance. The other fox smiled.

"You like? Yeah, she's a beauty, that's for sure. Makes real quick work of removing those that don't belong here. I can tell you wonder why I do that to my victims, cut off their tails. It's simple really. I just decided to try it out, and I found that it was rather enjoyable. It'll make me memorable; noticeable. It's that kind of attitude that gets you places in life. You don't worry about what others have to say."

"You don't let them see that they get to you," Nick added. The fox paused, considering Nick's statement carefully.

He smiled. "I like the way you put it, though I wouldn't say anybody really 'gets to me'. I've always embraced the hate."

The fox stood up and approached Nick. Nick stood up right in front of him, maintaining eye contact.

"Can I trust you to always be loyal, no matter what?"

"Of course," Nick stated.

"One more thing. Once a Red, always a Red. If you leave, I will come after you and kill you. Understand?"

"Absolutely." Nick didn't even need to think about that statement. This was what he wanted more than anything in the world.

"Perfect, let's get started, shall we?"

The two foxes walked towards the door, but Nick stopped just short, wondering one last thing. "Say, I don't believe we were ever formally introduced. What's your name?"

"Rathmore. Marvin James Rathmore III." Grabbing his paw, Nick shook it firmly.

"Nicholas Piberious Wilde. Pleasure to begin working with you."

* * *

The next couple of months seemed to fly by. Nick couldn't think of a time when he was any happier. Sure, there was the threat of death hanging over him, but that was easily avoidable and not any concern of his. He found that working for Marvin Rathmore was fairly simple, just as the fox had told him. Do as he said, and there would be no issues. And that was exactly how it worked. Nick wasn't bothered by anything that Marvin had him do because it was nothing he hadn't done before, There were a couple of new things, but it was nothing that he didn't have figured out pretty quickly.

Nick's jobs started simple, things that he really couldn't screw up unless he tried. Loading and unloading shipments of drugs were physically taxing, but nothing that warranted any real thought. Providing insight on the best places to perform deals? Nick's time on the streets made that a piece of cake.

The gang was like a company. Everyone had specific jobs and tasks that they needed to do to make things go smoothly and help everyone benefit. Marvin was a very organized mammal. He wanted everything to work like a well-oiled machine; efficient and productive. Nick had done nearly every single job that could be done, except for one. He'd just about had his eyes set on it since he was first brought in and now was his chance to prove what he could do.

It may have been considered the most dangerous job, but Nick didn't think it would be too bad. As far as he knew nothing would ever happen to make the job dangerous. Guarding during drug deals seemed like a walk in the park.

Marvin had taken him through the majority of all of the positions, and when that was finished, Nick would be assigned something, something that Marvin thought he would be the best at. Nick only hoped that he might become the newest personal guard.

Marvin oversaw every single deal, ensuring that nothing went wrong. He was just picky that way; never wanting anyone else to do it for him. He didn't like it when things didn't go his way. That was when his temper flared, bringing about a completely different side to the usually calm fox. Inside, there was a storm constantly brewing, only a small incident needed to unleash the wrath that festered from the depths of his soul.

Nick had witnessed a small reaction resulting in one of his fellow gang members being beaten nearly to death. It was that kind of thing that made everyone respect Marvin. Not so much like a dictator, but the constant fear of knowing that he _could_ easily kill you made you want to be on his good side.

Everyone knows what people say about foxes. Foxes are no-good, shifty criminals, waiting for the perfect chance to take advantage of whoever they meet. Marvin was the perfect example, but only when he dealt with someone he didn't trust. The only reason he was nice to his subordinates was that he trusted them; hand-picked them himself.

He'd always been that way, living up to the stereotype. His family had run the gang since its inception in the early 1900's, and ever since then, the stereotype had been reinforced, if not made more true, by their own actions. His grandfather caused the gang's notoriety skyrocket in the 50's and 60's, bringing fear into the hearts of everyone that saw the crest of The Reds; a fox head with the horns of the devil. After his father took over, things died down a little, people still being afraid of running into a member, but not feeling the same sort of dread that everyone felt back in the glory days, as his grandfather had put it.

Marvin wished to bring things back to how they used to be, to have the name be feared throughout the city once more.

But none of it really mattered to Nick. He was having the time of his life, and lest he say it, enjoying making some decent cash for once. It didn't matter what he really did as long as he stayed with the gang.

His time had come. Later that night, Nick would accompany Marvin and two other guards on a deal, making sure that nothing went wrong, and if something did, he would be there to protect his boss; not that there should be any issues. He'd known since his start that most people weren't so keen on trying to take advantage of Marvin. He was a bit of a brute, but he was also impressively smart. The fox could easily tell when someone was trying to pull something, and he didn't stand for that kind of disrespect.

Nick sat in his new apartment, one that Marvin showed him once he started working for the gang. He'd never had a place of his own once he was on the streets, so it was a refreshing change of pace to sleep in an actual bed and have space to live in.

Nick found pleasure in the tiny details of his new accommodation. His favorite thing to do was to just lay on the couch in the living room and stare at the ceiling. He'd never had the freedom to do that before; it was simple, but Nick loved it.

He wasn't one for TV, though the apartment did come furnished with all of the essentials including a decently sized plasma screen, something he could have only dreamed of having before.

He could get lost in the small bumps on the ceiling; never knowing how many there were, nor having the patience to count them all. They were like little hills on a vast, snowy plain that stretched for miles, nothing to disturb the peace and perfection of nature.

Just like most nights, Nick did get lost in the simplicity of the ceiling. He moved his head, seeing the clock mounted on the wall opposite him. It was time to go.

Nick grabbed his keys and exited his apartment, locking the door as he usually did behind him. It was a bit of a walk from his apartment, but he didn't mind. Covered with plenty of woods was the headquarters of The Reds; an old abandoned power station. It had been all the rave in the 50's, being able to generate loads of electricity to power the then much smaller metropolis.

But as times changed, so did the methods of generating electricity. The coal generators were considered obsolete, and more modern hydroelectric generators had been created in a different location. The old building had been left to rot in time, the city not seeing any reason to waste money on demolishing a building that was mostly out of sight. Only a few years ago did the gang begin using it to fit their needs. It worked as well as any other building and it was nearly undetectable. Few even knew of its existence.

Nick came upon the towering structure, seeing the stucco on the outside chipping away ever so slowly. He understood that their activities were not legal, but he wished they could use a different space to conduct their business. The smell was what got him. It was musty and old, stinging almost like a hospital, but not so clean.

It was dark inside. For most mammals, it would be nearly impossible to see, but for a gang of all red foxes, it was no problem. The HQ was usually pretty empty; only a few souls doing things or just mucking about. Marvin kept everyone pretty busy with some sort of task, but there was only so much to do on a normal day. More people than usual mucked about.

Nick walked down a set of cracked concrete stairs into the basement of the establishment, his night vision becoming necessary to see. It was down here that he would prepare for the coming job.

Nick approached a table where three other foxes stood already dressed in their gear. Currently on the table sat all of the things Nick would need for the night. A pocketed vest, cargo pants, and a high-powered assault rifle. His eyes skipped over the items of clothing and right to the deadly weapon.

Lethal firearms like these had been outlawed for many years, but some people still were able to obtain them from other places. It was a painfully difficult process and required plenty of illegal measures for it to be possible, but in the end, he was glad that he didn't have to do it himself. However, firing ranges that provided firearms for temporary use still existed, allowing for people to practice with such weapons without allowing for personal ownership.

Nick swept his paw over the rifle, feeling the coolness of the knurled metal of the grip on his paw pad. He picked it up, feeling the weight of such a small and deadly package. Only a few times before had he handled a rifle such as this one. He'd been a natural when he first picked one up a few years back and enjoyed having so much power at once. It felt wonderful to have that power back, and hopefully this time for good.

"Glad you could finally make it, Wilde," one of the foxes said, snickering with his friends. Nick recognized him. He was Marvin's younger brother, Leo. Nick had never had younger siblings being an only child, but he definitely understood why Marvin was not so fond of his brother, though Nick suspected it was a brotherly type of bond they shared. They acted like they hated each other, but in reality, they cared a lot about one another.

"Yeah, I think Marv was a little bit wrong to let this guy in. Look at how skinny he is!" one of the other foxes said.

"What do you think he was smoking?"

"I don't know, but it was probably pretty strong if he thinks this pelt is guard material."

"That's enough!" came a booming voice from the darkness, effectively shutting everyone up. Marvin slowly appeared from the shadows dressed in his usual attire, though he donned an equipment belt with a pistol and his precious cleaver strapped on.

"William, Kenneth, and Leo… do you want to spend the entire night under my watch, or are you going to stop harassing my new recruit?" the tod questioned. All three foxes stood straight as a stick upon being named.

"No, sir. We were just having a little bit of fun, that's all," Leo said shakily. Marvin walked up to his younger brother and slapped him on the back of the head.

"Shut up. Nicholas here is a fine recruit. I don't want to hear you bad-mouthing him ever, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," all three of them said at once. While Marvin was busy straightening his guards up, Nick stood quietly laughing to himself as he watched them all soften up when Marvin came in.

"As good as you three are about guarding, I simply hate your attitudes sometimes. I have a good feeling that Nicholas is going to be a new addition to this part of the gang, so I expect you all to treat him well. You know how much I despise mindless bullying like that, so straighten up, or you can spend the night with me and Jennifer tonight." Nick heard all three of the other foxes gulp. Marvin's paw gently stroked the cleaver holstered on his hip.

 _That must be Jennifer…_ he thought with a silent chuckle.

Marvin pivoted over to Nick. He stared at him with a nearly blank expression. "Suit up, Nicholas. We haven't much time left." With that, Marvin turned around and waited silently for Nick to get his gear on. A short time later, Nick was ready to go, his vest and all properly fitted. He held his assault rifle at slightly above waist height, the barrel aimed at the ground.

With all four ready, Marvin turned to his guards and stood in a strong stance. "Alright, let's make this quick like it should be. This is nothing new to you three," he said, pointing that the three regular guards. Shifting his gaze to Nick, he continued. "They will show you how it's supposed to go. Let's make a move on!"

With that, the four guards piled into the back of a van while Marvin took the passenger seat. The vehicle was driven by another member of the gang; he would not step out for a second.

Sitting across from Willian, Nick kept his gaze forward and unwavering in seriousness. "Sorry about all that back there, Nick. Just giving you a hard time since you're new and all," William said amidst the silence.

"Yeah, it's nothing against you. It's just the way we do things, ya know? It's like… phasing. Just trying to make you a part of this all," Kenneth added.

"I still don't like you," Leo chided. The fox leaned towards Nick, putting on a stark frown. "You don't look like Red's material. I can smell goody-goody all over you."

"And what exactly have I done?" Nick asked calmly.

Leo snickered. "You showed up here. That's it, but you still piss me off. You seem like trouble waiting to happen."

Nick shook his head and ignored the existence of Leo. He turned back to William and Kenneth.

"Is he always like that?" Nick asked.

"I can hear you!" Leo shouted.

"Shut up, Leo. Adults are trying to have a conversation. Go back to pouting like a frickin kit." Kenneth spat back. "He's always felt like Marv was trying to get rid of him. Don't take it personally, but he just doesn't want that to happen. They're brothers, but the feuds they have are more than just brotherly love sometimes. It can get ugly sometimes."

"Yeah, he's not the friendliest when things don't go his way. Give him some time and he'll be back to usual Leo."

Nick shrugged. "I don't really mind. I've taken a lot worse before."

William and Kenneth both smiled.

"You're alright, Nick. I'm sure you'll do fine. It's a pretty slack job; Marv doesn't usually take any sort of intimidation. He's the one that hands it out."

"Yeah, you'll pretty much just stand there and keep watch. Simple as that."

Nick nodded and smiled. He figured it would be pretty easy. He didn't think someone like Marvin would take any sort of demeaning. He probably was the one running the show the entire time.

Pretty soon, the van slowed down and then came to a complete stop, the engine remained running while the back door of the van was opened by Kenneth. He hopped out and motioned for all of the others to go ahead of him. Leo, still apparently angered by Nick's simple existence, shot passed Nick, bumping him with his shoulder as he passed. Nick thought nothing of it. He wasn't the kind of person who could so blindly hate another. He didn't understand.

Leo followed Kenneth while Nick followed William. Out in front of the vehicle was Marvin, who stood firm. In front of them was another vehicle. Nick couldn't quite see what kind it was due to the brightness of its headlights, but he saw a few figures in front of it much like his own group.

It was almost completely quiet, the sounds of the engines running being the only thing Nick could hear. He vaguely heard the chirping of crickets in the distance, but it was next to nothing. The very early morning was pitch black, the only light being that of the headlights.

William moved to the right, putting Nick the furthest from Marvin. He stood in a strong stance, keeping his rifle held in a good position for easy and effective draw just in case.

Soon enough, the other group moved forward, close enough that they could almost reach out and touch Marvin. They had their own group of guards, dressed similarly and wielding rifles much like Nick's. One of the guards held a large box. Inside he figured it was one of their "deliveries" that they received every so often. Nick also saw a bag dangling from Marvin's paw. It was the cash.

A wordless transaction came between the two leaders and the items swapped ownership. Nick couldn't believe how smoothly it all went, even though he knew this was a fairly regular thing. And just like that, it was over and Marvin was beginning his walk to the van.

"Hold it!"

The shout caused guns to be raised on both ends and Marvin to stop in his tracks. He turned around and ordered his guards to stand down with a fist in the air. Nick slowly lowered his gun. He could feel his body shaking from all of the adrenaline, but it wasn't good adrenaline. This felt bad like he didn't want to be there. Nick's eyes flicked over to Leo who looked at him, Nick seeing that same feeling in his eyes.

"I thought we agreed on five grand. This is only four," the voice said angrily. Marvin stepped forward and looked his business partner dead in the eyes.

"Had you listened to the meeting we had but two nights ago, we clearly agreed on four. This should be nothing new," he said calmly.

"I don't recall ever agreeing to something like that," the voice said, but Marvin just kept walking. The sound of guns being raised came again, but Marvin didn't stop.

"If you insist, I've got extra in the back. Nicholas, why don't you grab it?"

Nick didn't want to argue. If he was honest with himself, it was a relief to be away from all of the tension in the air, or rather out of the line of fire of several deadly firearms. Nick traveled to the rear of the van and opened up the door. Sure enough, underneath one of the seats was another canvas bag that contained more cash. He grabbed it just as the first shots went off.

Instantly ducking for cover, Nick heard glass shatter and shouts of command and pain echo in the night. He could hear the bullets hitting metal, glass, flesh, bones breaking, and lives being ended in the blink of an eye. All etiquette and action that he'd been taught recently went out the window and he did what any ordinary person would do.

He ran.

Nick dropped his rifle in the back of the van and he sprinted like he'd never done before. Minutes passed, but they felt like seconds. He didn't know if anyone was behind him, but he really didn't care to find out. As far as he knew, everyone back there was dead and no longer mattered to him.

He finally slowed down. Nick looked at his surroundings, finding none of them familiar, but also no one chasing after him. Nick stopped and caught his breath when a terrible realization came to him. He'd just deserted the gang, and therefore was likely going to be killed if he went back. It was something that Marvin had said to him during his interview. He didn't like a coward. If there was any chance that he'd survived, Nick didn't want to face him ever again.

Nick wasn't a Red anymore.

* * *

Dust still hung in the air around the van. Marvin gurgled and coughed, a spray of blood coming from his mouth. He felt his side. It was wet and sticky, the metallic scent of fresh blood penetrating his nostrils. It wasn't just his own that he smelled. It was everyones.

He managed to sit up against the side of the van. Three of his guards lay on the ground as well as every single one of the other group. He stood up, using all of the strength he had left and walked over to his brother's body.

He had no chance. It was a direct hit to the right eye; probably killed him instantly. He still stirred slightly, igniting some false hope that his brother might still be alive.

Marvin struggled to the rear of the van. The money lay right next to a rifle. Nick's rifle.

Three dead. Nick still left and all because he decided to run. Why did Nick get to live while everyone else died? He was a coward. He was a fool. Marvin was coming for him if it was the last thing he ever did.

The tod looked towards the sky and let out a bellow full of pain and anger

"Wilde!"

* * *

"I did everything that I could to avoid meeting someone I knew from the gang. Had I been spotted, they would have done everything to get me to Rathmore."

Nick reached down to his pant leg and pulled it up, revealing the lower half of Nick's leg. He turned it to show the back, specifically the white outline of a fox head with devil horns; the infallible truth behind Nick's story. The mark from his past that never left.

"I've tried to get rid of it, but I could never make myself do it. I understood that what I did was wrong. I might not have been able to save any of them, but I still dishonored the group that I had only begun to call family. You would have thought I'd have learned from that, but you'd be wrong. It wasn't too much longer after that that I sold Mr. Big that rug. Organized crime was never my cup of tea," Nick finished with a sad chuckle. He almost sounded sympathetic to the gang; not that he thought they were good people, but that he understood them. And he did; he was one of them.

"The crazy thing was that Marvin was a really nice guy when you got to know him. Crazy was the last word I would have used to describe him, even if he was fond of killing. He was calm and collected. He doesn't even seem like the same person anymore." Judy kept staring at the mark on Nick's leg. She reached out and touched it. The snow-white furs felt different than his own. It was lighter and softer; even a bit shorter than the rest. It stood out in a sea of red. A permanent reminder.

But Judy saw past the mark of years passed. He wasn't a Red anymore. She gently placed her paw on Nick's.

"You didn't have to hide it. I don't see you any different now." Nick turned to meet her gaze. He looked forlorn, like someone who'd just received bad news. He looked as though he didn't believe her.

"To be honest, I don't think you were ever really a Red, to begin with. The fact that you took off without so much as a thought told me that you were better than them. I know you are, Nick. You've proved it time and time again with everything that you do. Even with the small things. From the way you smile to your incredible work ethic. The way you see the good in people. It all shows me that you were never one of them, and you never will be."

"Judy, I don't know where you heard that one, but that needs to be on a Howlmark card," Nick said with a small grin.

"Add your sense of humor in the worst of times to that list," she replied amidst giggles.

"I still don't get it," Nick began. "I just told you the most shameful thing I have ever done, and you're not angry or anything. Why?"

"Nick, you just told me a story about a fox that did something a long time ago. I don't know who that fox was, though. His name was Nick Wilde, but he sure didn't sound like you; you've changed that much since then. I have no reason to judge you, and this doesn't change anything. I'm not going to see you any different. You're still the same lovable goober."

Nick wasn't sure what he did to deserve someone as amazing as Judy. She was so caring, so gentle, and so considerate of his feelings. She didn't care about something from the past, no matter how much it haunted Nick. She only saw him for who he was now, and that meant the world to him.

"Judy, I think I need to talk to you about—"

"Hopps, Wilde,"

 _Of course, he decides to come over here now. Stupid Buffalo-Butt…_

"Yes, sir?" both of them said.

"I would like to have a word with both of you back at the station. You will be taken back by Officer Wolford. He is ready whenever you are." His words came out almost saddened. He certainly wasn't very excited to be talking with them, but either way, they were prepared for whatever he had to say.

"Yes, sir. Right away," Judy replied. Bogo walked off, leaving Nick and Judy by themselves again. Judy hopped down from the back of the ambulance. "We might as well find Wolford. Let's get this over with."

Nick nodded and jumped down next to her. Together they walked off to find Wolford. Together they faced everything. It was only a matter of time before that could change.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah, this just happened. Wasn't I gone? Yeah, but I honestly don't know what to do when I'm not writing. I couldn't stay gone for very long. Call me the Brett Favre of Zootopia Fanfiction. I keep coming in and out of retirement! Although I would check out my update on my profile. I won't be staying for too long...**

 **Plus, I had someone really awesome help convince me otherwise, and now I have another project I'm working on. One that you'll hopefully see pretty soon!**

 **But wow, it seems as though Nick is ready to tell Judy what he wants to do about their relationship. But of course, Buffalo-Butt had to get in the way. Piece of shi…**

 **Anyways, thanks so much for reading, you guys. It truly does mean a lot to me. I hope that you don't hate me because of all of that pointless drama. It was a bit stupid of me to do that to you guys, so for that… I'm really sorry :(**

 **But as always, please don't forget to review, follow and favorite. Take care. Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	10. Hello?

Silence filled the cabin of Wolford's patrol car as they entered the city limits once again. They'd been on the road for quite a while and no one had said a word. Nick didn't even feel like looking at Judy; he couldn't face her after what he'd told her. They both sat in the back of the car, the place where criminals were supposed to be.

 _Maybe I do belong here…_ Nick thought to himself. He still didn't understand how she could still see him as the same person after telling her his story. It plagued him to this very day, and it was on his mind too much due to their current case. He shouldn't have felt so bad for it because he knew that they were all bad people. They were still people, though. They had feelings, too, and it made things all the worse for Nick to know how badly it affected Marvin.

Nick remembered him as an intimidating, but relatively friendly fox. He only looked frightening on the outside, but if you were on his side, then he could be the nicest person in the world. He stood up for people that deserved it, and, had he not been dealing in gang activity, he might have been a good example of an outstanding citizen.

The Marvin Rathmore that existed today was not the same fox. He was unfortunately preoccupied with society's view of his entire species. He was essentially where Nick was at over a year ago, only with much more hate. The fox he knew to wear a smile almost constantly replaced it with a frown, but not one of sadness. This was one of revenge. He'd wanted nothing more than to kill Nick for thirteen years.

And yet he let him go.

Nick was in a bit of a limbo, knowing he was alive, but not knowing why. That should have been the end for him, and he might have been fine with that if Judy weren't there with him. If Marvin wanted Nick dead, then why did he let him go? Nick had been thinking about that question ever since he watched Marvin disappear into the darkness of wherever they were held, searching for an answer that was presumably not there. Nick's mind was in a stable state. Marvin was likely so preoccupied with revenge that he was going insane.

The fox wondered what it would be like to be insane, not knowing real life from what your mind made up. Nick knew that he wasn't insane. Everything that had happened recently was probably just, dare he say it, getting to him. Of course, he knew that was a good thing for him. It let him know that he could still feel.

Nick casually looked to his left, Judy had rested her head on the door and had fallen asleep. He, in a way, felt bad for her. She'd just experienced some pretty deranged things, almost being killed a couple of times in the space of a few minutes. It didn't affect Nick all that much, but for someone who had nothing to do with everything between him and Marvin, she was most likely pretty freaked out.

If there was any part of this case that he hated the most, it was that Judy was being exposed to the consequences of Nick's wrongdoings against Marvin. Had he known what would have happened in the future, of course, he would have done something different. But he didn't know, and now other people were in danger because of it. There were so many things that he could blame for it all, but he was really the one to blame.

As Nick felt the car slow down, he looked out his own window, seeing the glowing form of the ZPD Precinct One HQ in front of them. Wolford put the cruiser in park and looked back to his smaller co-workers. He noticed that Judy was just beginning to wake up and smiled at Nick.

"Morning, sleepy head. Have a good nap?" Judy rubbed her eyes and looked at the two faces staring at her. Without saying a word she opened her door and got out of the car. Nick gulped, not knowing what that sort of reaction could have been about.

"She doing alright?" Wolford asked. Nick shrugged his shoulders at the question.

"I think so. Must just be exhausted," Nick responded quietly, making it obvious that Judy was not the only one that was tired.

"Well, good luck with the Chief."

"As usual," Nick finished with a lazy two-fingered salute as he opened his door and walked out of the cruizer. Finding his partner was already to the door, Nick hurried his pace and caught up with her right as she was walking in. Coming out of the cool night air, Nick finally realized just how beat up and tired he really was. His entire body ached and he could feel his eyes burning, pleading his brain to let them rest. He didn't want to know how Judy was feeling after all of that.

Going straight up to Chief Bogo's office, Nick was the one to knock on the door. Hearing him grunt from behind the door, the two promptly entered his office to a strange surprise.

The feeling Nick got when he entered the room was completely different from every other time he'd been in there. Before, Nick remembered it being tense and unnerving to be sitting across from the Chief. He was massive and pretty intimidating for someone so small by comparison. But this was completely different. The atmosphere felt more somber and more understanding than the usually unforgiving nature of his job.

"Have a seat. There are a few things I would like to discuss with you two." Nick and Judy did as commanded, both of them sitting side by side in the oversized chair in front of Bogo's desk. "First things first, I would like to get a better idea of what happened out there. Everything that you remember, I want to know."

Nick and Judy proceeded to tell Chief Bogo about everything they saw, from the arrival of the cars to the moment that they were spotted and darted. They mentioned who they saw and what they looked like, how many were there and what they were talking about. They told him how many cars were there and about what times they arrived. It was everything short of short of getting into what Judy learned about Nick earlier in the night and everything that Bogo asked for. Nick was not keen on telling Bogo about his past endeavors in a gang, as that would probably not sit well with the buffalo.

"Hmm, interesting," Bogo added as they finished their story, neither pleased not disappointed with what he heard. "Now, I need to do one more thing, and I will just put it out there, that I don't do this very often, and it pains me to know that I have to. I need to issue an apology to both of you. I didn't give you the reinforcements that you needed, and it nearly cost you two your lives."

Nick found it unbelievable what he had just heard. He didn't think that Bogo was one to issue apologies very often, if ever. He knew the buffalo to be incredibly strict not just with his subordinates, but with himself and making sure that he did nothing to endanger them.

"Sir, I will not accept the apology," Judy stated, and Nick's shocked and confused expression was then directed to Judy instead of Bogo.

 _Did I really just hear her say that?_

"And why not, Officer Hopps?" Bogo queried.

"Because it was I that said reinforcements would not be needed, sir. You couldn't have possibly known what was going to happen."

"Which is exactly why we should have had reinforcements," Bogo chided. "We didn't know that they knew you were there. We didn't know what was going to occur, and so I should have gone against your wishes and given you the backup that you quite obviously needed. It wasn't a smart move on any of our parts, but you two being much less experienced than me probably wouldn't have known any better. I should have. Now, I will say it again, I am sorry for not giving you the support that you needed."

"Apology accepted, sir," Nick and Judy said at the same time, though Judy sounded less than thrilled to be accepting it. Nick understood that she wanted to take responsibility for it, but the truth was that it was not entirely her fault.

"Good. Now, our second order of business, you two have done a wonderful job on this case. You've figured everything out, and now all that's left is to actually catch this guy and lock him away for a very long time."

Nick figured he knew what was next. They were going to be a part of the raid and then there would be a whole lot of paperwork to fill out.

"You two are being taken off the case."

"What!?" Judy blurted out. "Why would you take us off the case?"

"Because everything that you needed to do has been done. There is no reason to make you do any more work. We have plenty of evidence against Marvin Rathmore. There is no need for you two to find any more. We have all the power we need for a successful raid as soon as we locate the compound that they are hiding in, which won't be too difficult as the traffic cameras will pretty much do that for us. You two are going to be on leave for the next three days. Please, take this time to rest up. You both look terrible."

Nick and Judy both looked at each other and finally understood what Chief was getting at. It was the first time they'd really gotten a good look at one another in decent lighting, and he was completely right. Nick could tell that Judy was about ready to collapse from exhaustion and she looked like she hadn't showered in weeks, and he probably looked just as bad. It would be good for them to take this time to rest and get back to running at peak efficiency.

Judy clearly did not like hearing this, though. She stared at Nick, hoping that he would vouch for her and try and change his mind.

"Hopps, I think we should listen to Chief on this one. We've done our part, now let's give the other's their chance to have some fun, right?" Nick said, causing Bogo to raise an eyebrow.

"I never thought you would be the sensible one out of the two of you, Wilde. What exactly has gotten into you?"

"I don't know. Maybe my partner's constant thirst for justice is starting to affect her judgment. Either that, or she's exhausted herself into insanity. We'll take the leave, sir. No work for three days, period." Nick finished his statement by giving Judy a stare that told her to listen to him. Judy didn't want to; she wanted to finish the case and get Marvin once and for all. It wasn't so much that she didn't trust anyone else to close out the case, it was just that she wanted her and Nick to complete it, start to finish. It was the only way she knew how.

"I understand, sir," she said, though without much enthusiasm. Bogo grinned as he folded his hooves.

"Splendid. You two are free to go. Rest up, shower up, do whatever and be ready for work in three days. I'll see you two then."

Exiting the chair and Chief Bogo's office, Nick and Judy made the slow and tired walk out of the ZPD building and into the cool early morning air. It was still hours before sunrise, and by the time that happened, Nick figured the ZPD will have tracked down Marvin and gotten him into custody along with many of his subordinates.

Chief Bogo was not lucky enough to have time off. He had things to organize. In only a few hours, he hoped to be preparing a raid on wherever Marvin Rathmore was currently hiding. This took time, and that was something they did not have a lot of. They needed to find him quickly, otherwise, it would make things that much harder for them.

Bogo moved his hooves through the short fur on his head, the early call into work being hard on his alertness. No matter, he had plenty of work to do, and couldn't let a lack of sleep get in the way. He was determined to end what had nearly gotten two of his officers killed. He wouldn't let this go easily.

Bogo stood up from his desk and walked out of his office. Navigating his way to the office floor, he then twisted and turned through the many empty cubicles to find one of the few that were currently occupied, this one by Officer Kasten. Bogo knocked gently on the wall of her cubicle, and the caracal's ears turned towards the sound, eventually bringing her head around as well.

"Officer Kasten. Good to know that you are back from your honeymoon," Bogo said.

"Yeah, three days wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I'm sure I was lucky to even get that," she said in jest.

"Long ago, I had to beg Chief Grizzon to get two days off for my own wedding, so yes, you were very lucky," Bogo added with a bit of a smile. "Now, has anyone else filled you in on what happened down by South Canyon? Do you know what you need to be looking for?"

"I know enough to know where to look. Though I'd have you check everything out to make sure it all adds up. I've gotten the traffic camera footage set at the exact time that Hopps and Wilde showed up." As Tanya spoke, she played the footage over and Bogo watched diligently, every once in a while having the caracal speed up the video when he knew nothing would happen. When two vehicles showed up on screen, he watched them and looked at who was inside, unfortunately to his disappointment.

"Those are panthers driving… Hopps and Wilde said that Rathmore showed up first to the site. They aren't members of The Reds…" Bogo said, clearly confused as to how Marvin and his guards got past the camera. "There is nothing in the churchyard, is there?"

"Negative. This is the only camera for a while. The churchyard is too far into the forest."

Bogo sighed. "I figured. Well, let's at least get their departure." Tanya nodded and continued playing the footage, this time watching the footage almost the entire way through, only speeding it up when he knew nothing would happen. Much to his dismay, the only vehicles leaving were the two that arrived previously. Bewildered, Bogo continued watching the normal speed footage until he watched several ZPD vehicles and an ambulance arrive on scene.

"There's no way that just happened… how did he get in there? What did Hopps and Wilde say about Rathmore's arrival?" Tanya asked.

"They never saw him arrive on scene. They were woken up by the other two cars driving down the gravel road leading," Bogo said with a hint of spite. He couldn't really blame them, though. It was rather late at night when they were sitting and watching.

"So, what do you think we need to do?"

Bogo thought for a second. "You're free to go home if you'd like, but be back here by 6 A.M. sharp, ready to go and look over every square inch of that churchyard. I'll get together a team to investigate and we'll figure this out. It's time to end this."

* * *

 _Outside Precinct One_

"So, is there anything you still want to talk about?" Nick asked. They had just left Bogo's office and were currently on their way to Nick's apartment. Since the car ride to the Precinct had been nothing but silence, Nick felt it appropriate to fill the air with some amount of noise. The city seemed too quiet for his taste at this time of night.

"Not really, though I am a bit cross with you, Nick."

"Why? I thought what I did in the past wasn't what defined me anymore?"

"Not about that. It's about how you kept me in the dark for so long. You could have told me, and maybe we could have avoided this whole situation entirely. We almost died, Nick. He was one twitch of his finger away from blowing your head off. Do you realize how insane that was?"

"Of course I do. I was scared. I thought I might lose you."

"I thought the same thing. Please don't keep me in the dark about things anymore. We are here for each other, no matter what, right?" Judy asked. Nick gave his bunny one fleeting glimpse before he brought his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Of course, Carrots. Always."

"But, Nick, can you answer me one more question?"

"Hmm?"

"When Marvin had that gun pressed against your head and you were screaming at him, were you serious? Did you want him to shoot you?"

Nick let out a long and drawn out sigh. "Yeah, I actually did. It may have been in the heat of the moment, but I thought that maybe if he killed me, I'd be able to see my dad again." Judy's body seemed to freeze as they walked, her muscles becoming stiff.

"Please don't ever scare me like that again. I don't want you to end up like him."

Nick didn't blame her. But like he said, he wasn't necessarily in the greatest of mindsets having just found out that Marvin was responsible for his father's death. Nick truly wasn't ready to die, but that didn't mean he wasn't willing to give his life for the sake of the city. It was one of the many duties of a police officer. If he had to die to protect the city from Marvin's terror, then it would have happened.

"I will never be like Marvin. I would never let myself stray that far from justice." Nick squeezed her closer and he felt her body melt into him and relax. Leaning her head on Nick's side, the two walked in each other's embrace for quite some time. The city streets were mostly empty at this time of day, and coming towards Nick's apartment building he still held her close. Entering the building and going straight to the elevator, Nick let out a yawn, the day really beginning to take its toll on him.

The elevator ride up to Nick's floor was silent and Judy was grateful. It was over. The feeling was strange, having the case solved in a matter of days, especially when there was so little for them to work with at the beginning. It reminded her a lot of the Nighthowler case, how everything was stacked against her. Thankfully Nick was there to help her back then, and even now, just about a year later he was still there for her, and she hoped he would be there for a long time after.

The elevator slowed to a stop and then opened up, allowing for them to make the final walk to Nick's apartment. As they approached Nick's front door he finally removed his arm from around her shoulder to get his keys and unlock the door. Twisting the knob, the door slowly swung open to reveal Nick's apartment, a sight for sore eyes for the both of them. Nick had hardly set foot in his own home since they started the case; really only to sleep at night.

Judy headed straight for the couch where she layed her head on the armrest and instantly closed her eyes. Nick, seeing this walked over to the couch and quickly scooped up his bunny up and proceeded to carry her to his bedroom against her wishes.

Coming up to his bed, Nick dropped her onto it, causing her to giggle as he jumped next to her. "I was fine on the couch!" she scolded.

"You're no stranger to this bed. And besides, that couch sleeps horribly. You'd be much more comfortable here next to me," Nick stated, scooching himself closer to Judy. "Now, I'm tired and I'm sure you are just the same, so why don't we just sleep for as long as we can?"

"Without even taking off our clothes?"

"That'd be too much work," he replied with a sleepy smile. Judy turned herself over onto her stomach and nearly rested her entire body on top of Nick, the top of her head resting right underneath his chin.

"Well, this is as comfy a spot as any." Judy closed her eyes and Nick gently rubbed her back, hearing her breathing fall into a slow and steady rhythm as she fell asleep.

He wished every moment could be like that one. No one cared about all of the bad in the world; no one even brought it up. It was one of the few times that they could just worry about the present and who was right in front of them. Not a care in the world except for each other.

His eyes didn't seem to want to close all the way, though. His mind had chosen now of all times to remember what he was about to tell Judy before they were confronted by Chief Bogo. Back then, he thought he was ready to tell her what he felt was best for them, but now that he'd been given the chance to think it over again, he was beginning to doubt himself.

Nick hated that he had to make the decision. He hated that it had to be a thing at all, but it seemed that happiness was not so keen on being easy. He wished for nothing more than to have everything between them be good like it was for the first few months. Those months had been some of the greatest of his life, and he wanted it so badly. But he wasn't sure how his future would be if he stayed with her. One of his true lifelong dreams, fathering and raising children would not be achieved. Could he live with that?

But on the other end, could he really find the same joy that he felt with Judy with someone else? He'd never really loved anyone that way. His mother was an exception to that feeling, of course, but to actually love someone as to want to spend the rest of his life with them, he thought would be slim to none. He was certain that Judy was the only one that he wanted and possibly couldn't have. Was he destined to be alone?

Of course not. The thought of that was preposterous. Nick was never alone, especially if they were still friends, but if he wanted someone that was made only for him, could he actually live his life knowing that it could have been different, and possibly more fulfilling?

It was unfair. Life could always seem more fulfilling, but we would never really know unless every option could be weighed out at the same time. Every outcome would have to be known to understand that fulfillment that Nick sought.

Nick shifted his position, Judy no longer resting right next to him, but having turned over in her sleep. Nick got out of bed and sat on the edge for a few seconds. With his mind this preoccupied, he would never be able to fall asleep. A low growl emanated from deep in his gut.

With his stomach agreeing, he got up and wandered into the kitchen.

Nick approached his refrigerator and opened the door, the bright light nearly blinding him in the darkness of the rest of his apartment. He searched through squinted eyes until he found a small white box near the back. He saved these for special occasions and now was as good a time as any.

He hadn't had his favorite Hopps blueberries in a while.

Taking the whole box out of the refrigerator, Nick gently opened the top and popped a few of the delicious orbs onto his mouth. Every single berry was like the first, the small blue fruits being immensely flavorful and easily his favorite treat. He'd never met Judy's parents face to face, but as soon as he did, he would probably give them each a big hug and thank them for growing such amazing produce.

Deciding to have a sit-down on the couch for a few minutes and let his mind clear while he enjoyed his blueberries, Nick did just that but soon felt a vibration from his pocket. In his prior exhaustion, he'd neglected to take his phone out of his pocket before he leapt into bed. He carefully looked at the screen, finding the current caller to be particularly interesting.

"Mom?" he whispered to himself. Confused by the lateness of the call, he still decided to not let it go to voicemail. If his mother was calling him right now, it was probably pretty important. He slid his finger across the screen and held the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" he said in a hushed voice. Nick's ears dropped and a shroud of worry draped over him as he heard quivering sobs from the other end.

"N-Nick…. He doesn't like to be kept waiting…"

* * *

 **A/N: No, he does not like to be kept waiting... whoever that is, though I have a feeling that you all know exactly who that is ;)**

 **Happy New Year everyone! 2018 is finally here, and I'm kinda glad to say that 2017 is gone and in the past. It was a good year, but there was too much bad to really say it was awesome. Hopefully, 2018 is a lot better, which I have a feeling that it will be! Hopefully, you guys are enjoying the last few chapters of _Pieces_. There is only a little bit left before this story is finally over, so get ready for the action to get pretty intense!**

 **If you haven't already, please follow and favorite! Also, don't forget to write me a review!**

 **And as always, please take care! Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	11. I'm Ready to Die

"N-Nick…. He doesn't like to be kept waiting…"

The words of his terrified mother pierced his heart like a hot knife through butter, bringing back all of the emotions that he felt the moment he found out that his father was dead nearly thirty years ago. Among these emotions was one that had been small back then, almost unnoticeable back then. Nick was angry. For the first time in his entire life, he could genuinely say that he hated Marvin Rathmore.

He was going to get a rude awakening the moment Nick finally found him, and he knew exactly where to go to find that no good, sad excuse for a fox.

"M-Mom? Where are you? What did he do to you?" Nick asked frantically, hoping to hear his mother's voice one more time to make sure that she was alright. A sickening and disgusting voice greeted him after his query, telling him that he wasn't allowed to have that privilege.

"You hear that, Nick? I don't like to be kept waiting…. Your mother is about to follow in your father's footsteps if you don't get here in an hour. Don't bother bringing your ZPD friends with you, either. It's going to be you and me, one on one. You know what I want from you… don't make me have to look for you, otherwise it will be very painful…"

Nick felt himself growl deeply in the back of his throat as his anger became nearly uncontrollable. "You son of a…!" he managed to get out before he realized that Marvin had hung up the call. Nick flared his nostrils as he stared at the blank phone screen before he sent the device hurtling to the floor, screen shattering on impact. Nick almost instantly came out of his rage and softened up, then he looked into the open door of his bedroom. Inside was Judy's still fast asleep form, only stirring slightly and apparently just now noticing Nick's missing support, though remaining asleep.

 _Poor rabbit… she must be that exhausted…_ Nick thought as he watched her for a split second, silently chuckling to himself and happy that she hadn't woken up from the noise of his phone hitting the ground.

Without even thinking, Nick stormed towards the front door and had his paw ready to open it when he stopped himself. He couldn't go into this guns blazing and without an actual plan. He wanted to tell Judy, but she probably wouldn't be too happy to know that he was going to face Marvin alone, even if it was to save his mother's life. It wouldn't be smart to have her tag along, either. This was between Nick and Marvin, no one else. He couldn't risk any more lives than were already at stake.

Nick let go of the door and backed away slowly. He needed to think of a plan, and he needed to think fast.

All Nick needed was himself, but he wasn't going to go out without a fight. He needed weaponry, and he knew only one place where he could get it. The only problem was that Bogo had sent him and Judy on leave for three days. He wasn't supposed to be at the ZPD for any reason, especially not to get into the armory and grab a weapon. He needed to be able to sneak past everyone and remain undetected.

Then there was the issue of getting to the location he had in mind. He was going to have to get his cruizer again, once more without being seen by anyone else. It would be difficult, but he figured that there weren't going to be very many people there due to the time. Only a select few officers would actually be at the ZPD while the greater majority would be on patrol this far into the early morning.

Nick stood still for several moments, only moving to rub his brow as he contemplated his next move. There was too little time for him to think properly and understand all of his options. He just had to decide and work with what happens from there. No amount of planning could prepare himself for what he was about to face.

A thought came to mind. At first, he decided against it, but after only a few seconds of thought, he figured it would be for the best.

Nick swiftly found a piece of paper and a pen and quickly scribbled a note on the paper. Folding it up, he addressed it to Judy, walked into his bedroom quietly and set it on the nightstand right by his bed. As he placed it down, Nick looked at her, completely at peace while she was asleep. He wanted so badly to wake her and have her go with, but he knew it to be too dangerous. He hated leaving her so suddenly, but his mother was in danger. He only hoped that she would understand.

Nick walked back out into his living room and headed for the door, the box of blueberries in one paw. Nick could feel his heart begin to beat very fast as he caught a taxi and told the driver to take him to the ZPD. He sat in the back seat of the taxi, silently contemplating his decision. There was no question that he needed to do this. His mother's life was at risk. But in addition to saving her life, his own had the possibility of being ended, if he was lucky. Nick knew that Marvin was an incredibly skilled fighter and had years of experience over him. Nothing would ever be the same if Nick were to somehow escape death tonight.

The thought of him dying made him shake even more than before. It wasn't so much the thought of death, he figured that might have been alright, but how it would affect everyone that he cared about; how it would affect Judy. He was worried that it would change her. He was worried that she would become something like Marvin, nothing like her old self and, in a way, not even the same person anymore. But he knew that it was likely that he would see the end tonight, and there was no way he could let himself change that. His mother's life was too important to hope Marvin would let things go and he could just avoid doing this at all. Nick knew that was impossible.

As the taxi slowed down, Nick gave the driver his dues and sprinted towards the entrance, but quickly ran towards the motor pool instead, only to take cover as some officers walked out of the front entrance. They continued their conversation as they walked away, eventually out of Nick's sight. He looked cautiously around before he decided to not go in the front entrance, but rather sneak in through one of the entrances into the mechanic's shop, which had been closed for hours at that point. He was sure to not find anyone there.

Nick looked at the garage door and pulled up on it, feeling it give way just enough for him to slide underneath and into the mechanic's shop. Nick found no issue in navigating through the crowded and messy shop, tools and old parts strewn all over the floor and on several work benches that impeded his progress. Even with his incredible sight in the dark, Nick felt that the room was about as black as it could possibly get, as he had a slight issue seeing exactly where he was going.

Getting to the entrance to the shop, Nick slowly opened the door and looked out into an empty corridor with lights off and no sign of anyone that would soon be heading that way. He slid out of the opening and made sure the door closed quietly. He sprinted down the hallway and when he approached the end, he saw that he was at the lobby, and not a soul was in there except for Clawhauser, who was not looking in Nick's direction. He could only see the back of the cheetah, so Nick took the opportunity to quickly slip by him without being detected.

Getting past Clawhauser, Nick ran down the hallway until he reached the locker rooms, and slipped inside. The light was off when he first entered but automatically turned on when a sensor detected his motion. It was a relieving fact knowing that he could finally take a breather and figure out the next step to his plan. Nick walked over to the locker that he'd been using and undid the padlock. He made sure to open the door slowly since they were prone to squeaking loudly. While inside the locker, Nick grabbed his tranquilizer and nearly shut the door. Looking back in the locker, Nick saw his walkie, and stopped for a moment, thinking about grabbing it as well. After a moment of deciding, Nick grabbed it and quietly shut the locker.

Holstering everything on his equipment belt, Nick began making his way to the door of the locker room when he heard voices from out in the hallway. He stopped and listened to the voices get closer and closer by the second until he saw the door open just a crack. Nick jumped out of the way of the opening and hid behind the trash can, hoping that whoever came in would not find him.

"So Chief said that we need to be here again by sunrise so that we can go back to South Canyon to figure things out. Apparently, that fox completely disappeared, no trace of him on the traffic cameras whatsoever," said a very large mammal, Nick thought it sounded like Officer McHorn. Nick wasn't entirely surprised that they couldn't find Marvin. He'd always been a bit slippery.

"We might as well not even leave if we need to be back here in a few hours. I don't see a point in going back home," came another voice, but this time one that Nick didn't quite recognize. He didn't intend on finding out, either, because as the door was about to close, Nick swiftly made it through the gap and out into the thankfully empty hallway. Nick was ready to go, having everything that he'd need to confront Marvin, and hopefully, end this pointless game that he was playing.

Nick took his time going down the hallway and towards the exit into the motor pool when he heard more voices coming from behind him, as well as the distinct sound of squeaky wheels spinning on the linoleum floor. Nick took one glance behind him when he saw two custodians, one a very old raccoon, and the other a middle-aged coyote, wheeling a cart down the hallway right towards Nick. Without even thinking, Nick hopped into the first door that he saw, which was thankfully unlocked. Shutting the door quietly, Nick realized the errors of his ways, seeing that he'd just trapped himself in a mechanical room, one filled with a large water heater and lots of cleaning supplies. He only hoped that this was not where those two were headed.

It wasn't like they would recognize Nick at all, but they would wonder why a shifty fox was hiding in their supply closet, and would likely alert the many authorities that were currently in the building, despite how he still wore his uniform. They would probably wonder why he was in there in the first place.

Nick looked around the dark space, hoping that there was someplace for him to hide. He checked around the water heater and figured that he could fit behind it, but it would be a bit snug. There wasn't enough time for him to make another decision because right as Nick got situated behind the heater, the door was opened and light was shed onto everything in the room except for Nick. Thankfully, the two custodians didn't linger in the closet for too long, only for them to place the cart in the small space and then close the door again. Nick waited a while, then squeezed himself out of the mechanical room, peeking his head out the door to make sure the coast was clear. Seeing no other person in the hall, Nick had a straight shot to get to the motor pool.

He sprinted as fast as he could to the very end of the hallway where the door to the motor pool was and took no time in opening it slowly. He was home free and ready to leave. The only thing in his way was a locked cruizer.

"Locked… cruizer…" Nick whispered to himself before he frantically searched his pockets for the key fob. His panic was relieved when he felt the smooth plastic device that allowed him access to the car. Nick realized that he'd never turned the key in after the last time he'd used their regular patrol car, but he was thankful that he didn't. He'd be walking if he had.

Finding his car, Nick unlocked it and got in, starting the vehicle and wasted no time in leaving the Precinct. There was too little time to be wasting.

* * *

 _Nick's Apartment_

Judy felt herself slowly wake from her much-desired sleep. Her entire body felt heavy from exhaustion, and she didn't even bother opening her eyes, though a bit of curiosity forced her to crack them just a bit. Not finding the blinding light of the sun shining right on her face as she expected, Judy opened them fully, noticing that it was still very dark out and that something was missing. Something soft and warm… something that should have been there; something that was there when she went to sleep in the first place. Judy turned over on the bed and was met with empty space next to her.

Nick was gone.

Judy sat up and listened for a while. Perhaps he'd just gone to the bathroom or was out getting a glass of water. She shifted her gaze to the small digital clock on Nick's nightstand. She'd only been asleep for about an hour. Judy continued listening to the sounds of the apartment. Warm air flowed through the vents overhead, she could hear the refrigerator humming in the kitchen, but no flushing of the toilet, nor footsteps outside the bedroom door. It sounded as though she was completely alone.

 _Maybe he's out on the couch…?_ She thought to herself. She would have no idea why he would be out on the couch, but right now, she couldn't think of any other place he would be. Judy removed the covers from herself and jumped off of the bed. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she stepped out of Nick's room and walked the short distance to the bathroom, turning on lights in the hallway to the living room, as well as in the kitchen and living room itself for her to better see everything.

She looked inside; the light was off and no one was in there. She didn't think much of it, so Judy walked out into the kitchen and the living room. The light above the sink was on, just like it usually was, but there was no one getting a glass of water, or anything. She moved into the living room, but Nick was not on the couch.

Nick was really gone.

At first, she felt like panicking, but she quickly decided against the thought. Nick may have seemingly disappeared, but there was no need to get ina fuss about it. She just needed to stay calm and think about the situation. Her brain went into super-cop mode and she immediately began looking for clues.

She started in the living room, looking for anything that might have contributed to Nick's absence. Walking over by the large floor-to-ceiling windows at the very edge of Nick's apartment she noticed something laying on the floor, as well as a spot of damage on the sleek wooden floors. She knelt down and examined the object, realizing quickly that it was Nick's phone. Judging by the dent in the floor, she knew that he didn't simply drop it by accident. Something caused him to throw the device into the floor, but what?

That part may have been unknown at the moment, but Judy remained vigilant in her search. She went into the kitchen. She looked through the cabinets, finding nothing out of the ordinary until she approached the refrigerator. Taking a step, she felt something squash underneath her foot. Quickly lifting it up, Judy looked at the bottom of her foot, where a small blue spot of goo and skin stuck to her sole. It was a blueberry.

Judy was no stranger to Nick's blueberry addiction and figured that on multiple occasions that he would get up at night to have a little snack. She'd even gone to the lengths of having her parents send Nick a small box of them to him every so often, usually making sure that he never ran out. Though with the way he went through them, he sometimes had to settle for the less delicious variety that he could buy at the grocery store.

Judy opened the fridge and looked for the simple white box that contained the produce. She moved items around and nearly gagged when she touched a raw cricket burger covered in plastic wrap. Just the smell of it made her want to hurl.

Concluding her search, she wondered where the box would have gone… unless Nick finished the box before he left. Judy closed the fridge door and walked over to a stainless steel trash bin, the kind that opened automatically when you waved your paw in front of the top. Having the bin open up, Judy looked inside, but to her dismay, found no such box inside, just a bunch of several-day-old garbage that smelled less than satisfactory.

Judy decided that he must have taken the blueberries with him wherever he went. A single thought came to mind, though she quickly dismissed the idea, figuring that Nick was much smarter than to run off by himself to try and find Marvin. She couldn't call him because his phone was in a million pieces in the living room. She only hoped that he was alright.

Sighing in defeat, Judy quickly checked the trash in the bathroom as she walked back to Nick's bedroom, but as she expected, found nothing. Coming back into Nick's room, she climbed onto the bed on Nick's side and looked at the clock once again. It was as she looked at the clock that she saw something that she didn't notice before. It was a small piece of paper with her name written on it that hadn't been there when the two of them arrived just an hour ago.

Judy climbed off the bed and approached the nightstand, her nose twitching as she brought her face closer to the note. Picking it up, Judy slowly opened it, revealing a short note that appeared to have been written in great haste. It read:

" _Judy, this could possibly be my final goodbye. Marvin has my mother, and there is no easy way to say this, but I feel like this could be the end. I can't stand the idea of my past mistakes causing harm to someone I love so much, and because of that, I am going to find him and get him to release my mother. Marvin wants me, and only me to confront him. With that being said, I can only assume that my life will have to be the payment for that, so this is probably the end for me. I'm sorry. -Nick"_

Judy let the letter slip quietly through her fingers and fall to the floor like a feather, gently swaying back and forth until it finally touched the ground at her feet. Her worst fear had become a reality. The scene played through her head like she'd seen it. Nick got a call and Marvin told him to come to him or his mother would pay the ultimate price. Nick, in his anger throws his phone at the floor and storms off, but not without writing the letter and grabbing his blueberries, because they would be his last bit of joy before he went off to his potential death.

A single tear dropped from Judy's eye, the tear hitting the letter with a small sound that seemed to echo in the silence. Her emotion was fleeting, though, her mind quickly going back into super-cop mode and steeling her resolve. Sniffing up the last of her sadness, Judy put on a determined face and sprinted to the door and out of Nick's apartment.

She wasn't letting him do this alone, no matter what Marvin may have said. This was ending right now.

* * *

 _South Canyon Highway_

Nick had been on the road for a short amount of time. Still, in his uniform from the previous shift, Nick kept both paws on the steering wheel, his knuckles almost turning white from how hard he gripped the wheel. His eyes no longer threatened to close against his will. His anger burned like never before, and the resulting, almost constant deep growl emanating from within his throat as he stared straight down the road almost tickled his neck and the surrounding areas of his body.

Things had gone too far by now. Especially with the knowledge that Marvin was behind his father's death, Nick was not going to stand for dragging his mother into this decade-long feud. His father's death was cruel and he would never forget it, but now that his mother was involved, there was going to be hell to pay. She had nothing to do with anything. By now Marvin was just playing with him, doing anything to get him near so that Nick could be struck down and fulfill his raging desire.

It had worked brilliantly, as Nick imagined. He figured Marvin was plotting how to get him back at any time, and apparently, this was his method of choice. It was the perfect representation of what the old tod had become; a despicable and criminally insane mammal with a hunger for blood and mayhem. Some mammals wanted to watch the world burn. Marvin was the kind that would light the fire without so much as a hesitation.

Nick knew that he was catering to Marvin's desires, going to find him and his poor mother, but there was too much on the line to see it as a trick just to get the two foxes alone together. Nick was no stranger to how easily Marvin could take the life of another. The memory of seeing his childhood friend turned enemy laying on the floor, blood gushing from the holes in his skull were still as fresh as Hopps produce. He could still smell the metallic aroma of his blood, the piercing sound of the bullet casing bouncing on the ground, the dull thump of Jerry's body falling over limp, and the whimpers of Judy who was blind to the event, but still heard and understood it all the same.

That was one of the many memories Nick had of Marvin, yet looking back to years ago, he seemed like a completely different person.

Marvin had become a home for hatred and a burning grudge against Nick. The pain of losing his brother and his other friends was hard on him, as anyone would be able to imagine losing a loved one to be. He hadn't dealt with it in a very healthy way, letting the hate of the one he thought to have caused it boil and fester until it made him who he was today; the fearsome gang lord that truly had no care about right or wrong, only what got him the results he desired. No longer was there any care about others. Just himself.

Nick felt his heart almost skip a beat as he saw his turn coming up, and he stepped on the brake much more gently than the last time he'd driven to this spot, which had only been mere hours before. The sheer weight of the situation was starting to catch up with him, and his nerves were not exactly happy about what he was soon going to do.

Turning onto the curvy gravel road, Nick felt himself shuffle in his seat, his entire body becoming restless as he slowly approached his intended destination. A couple of minutes later, Nick had arrived at the large gravel lot, this time completely empty and quiet. Perhaps an hour before, this place would have been filled with other cops and emergency vehicles, but now it was barren; just how Nick needed it.

Parking the car, Nick got out, a cool wind blowing through his fur and nearly making him shiver. It had gotten significantly colder than when he walked to the ZPD, and the wind picked up a lot. The time had come for Nick to end this game. Now it was his turn.

Still with his mostly empty box of blueberries, Nick began walking along the edge of the forest and the gravel. About twenty meters away from his parked car was a mostly hidden opening. Tall weeds grew in the middle of the pathway, making it hard to spot from a distance, and nearly impossible in the dark. He looked it over for a second, knowing that this was where he needed to go. Just a short walk away was the old abandoned power plant that the city forgot about. Only a few mammals knew of its existence. Nick was one of the few.

He stood in front of the path and clenched his free fist, closing his eyes and pointing his muzzle heavenward.

"I'm ready to die…" he muttered aloud as he took his first steps towards the end.

* * *

 **A/N: Dear Lord, Nick... what are you getting yourself into? (I know!)**

 **Though it seems as if Marvin has finally succeeded in pushing Nick to his limit. For him to say that he's ready to die... Nick must be hiding some emotions. But he must really love his mother if he's willing to give his life for her without much of a thought. What a guy!**

 **If anyone can figure out what movie that last line came from, I love you.**

 **As usual, if you enjoyed, please leave a review, follow, and favorite the story! It all means a lot to me!**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for reading. Take care, have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	12. Stockholm

_Somewhere Near South Canyon Highway_

A light flickered as a lamp was turned on, the resulting brightness being too much for her eyes without shielding them. She tried to move her paw up to her face, though found it to be impossible. It wasn't until she looked down at her side that she saw her paws were bound to the arms of a metal chair. The ropes binding her wrists were thick, and they dug into her fur, feeling as though they might make her bleed. She tried to free herself, but it was too painful to keep moving, and yet, she still had hope that there would be some way for her to get out.

But there wasn't. She was tied to a chair in a completely undisclosed location. Not to mention that there was no one around to answer her questions.

 _Wait… but how did the lamp turn on…?_ She thought with great curiosity. That question was answered mere seconds later, though after hearing his voice, she would have rather stayed in darkness alone.

"Mrs. Wilde… It's been too long, darling. What, twenty-six years, if I'm not mistaken? Do you remember what happened that long ago?"

Veronica didn't really need to think about it. That day had been engraved in her mind making it impossible to forget. Though she didn't think she'd ever met this voice before. It didn't have any sort of familiar ring to it, yet he seemed to know about that day as if he was there.

"Who are you?" she asked. A brief moment of silence was followed by chuckles that made her fur stand on end. The feeling of pure evil and treachery wafted through the air like the scent of a rotting corpse, making her fear the moment that the voice's face was revealed to her.

She first saw the tail, a big poofy one much like her own, though it seemed to have some fur missing from it as though it was scarred. Then she saw a pair of legs covered in thick cargo pants. The feet were much like the tail, bald spots being evident, though not too frequent. Then she saw an arm. It was perhaps the most disgusting thing she'd ever seen. The number of scars that looked to have come from blades and bullet wounds was unbelievable. She hadn't seen his face, and yet she thought the best way to describe him was a walking bag of scars.

Finally, his face was shown, though it was not like she expected it to be. His fur was graying, though it covered his entire face. There was only one scar noticeable, though she suspected the wound hadn't been so bad since the fur grew back, though slightly discolored. His eyes seemed to stare blankly due to how dark they were. Very little white showed, making it appear as though they were all black. Yet despite the nature of his eyes, blank and expressionless, she couldn't help but shiver when he gazed into her's.

"You know me, I know you do. Like I said, think back twenty-six years… I know you'll understand."

She didn't need him to tell her. She understood the moment he mentioned that specific amount of time, knowing that this fox was the one who killed her husband. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes, but using all of the emotional strength that she'd built up over the years, she fought them back. Weakness was not something she wanted to show at a time like this.

"What do you want from me?" she said confidently. Her voice was strong, unwavering in demeanor.

"From you? Nothing. But your son is not here. You are merely bait, and if I know him at all, he'll be here before we know it."

"You stay away from him!" Veronica spat. "He's done nothing to you!"

Marvin smirked mischievously, letting a low chuckle escape as he continued to pace around Veronica. "Oh, how naive you are, Mrs. Wilde. You sure you want to keep thinking that way? Your little boy is not so innocent like you think."

Veronica didn't know exactly what to think. She knew Nick was a good person. There was no doubt in her mind that he was, but now that Marvin was talking like this, she wasn't so sure.

"You're lying…"

"Am I?" Marvin quickly waved his paws in front of his face, suddenly changing from his previously frightening demeanor to something more inviting and friendly. "Oh, wait… let me start over. I never even introduced myself. My name is Marvin James Rathmore III, the leader of the fearsome gang known as The Reds, the murderer of Robert Wilde and several others, soon to include your son, and the victim of a terrible crime committed by him." And just like that, he was back to the angry, revenge-driven individual that she had seen only seconds before.

"You don't know what you're talking about…"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Let me take you back thirteen years to a night much like this one. Your son had only recently begun working for me and my gang when he committed the most heinous crime I can think of: Cowardice. Running from the scene of one of my… let's call it a business transaction… he was the sole cause of the death of three of my best personal guards, one of which was my own flesh and blood. Your son is a scoundrel that needs to be put in his place, which I imagine is about six feet under the cold, hard ground," Marvin finished with a growl.

"Nick would never do such a thing. He doesn't have a bad bone in his body."

"I beg to differ, Mrs. Wilde. You see, I don't hold grudges when there is no cause to do so. I have been waiting for your son to show up for thirteen long years. Now he finally has, and I will not wait any longer. Now is the time for him to get what's been headed his way. And you are going to get him here."

Veronica scoffed. "Why would you think I would ever help you!?"

"Vince!" came the shout from Marvin. Within seconds Marvin had a gun pressed against her head and a paw brushing the side of his cleaver, ready to arm himself with it whenever he felt was necessary. Vince had shown up only seconds later, another red fox.

"Search her for her cellphone. My paws are a little full." The other fox nodded quietly and began doing a full pat-down, finding the device in her right pocket. Vince tossed it to Marvin, who removed the barrel of the gun from her head but still kept his cleaver within her sight. Marvin poked around on the device for a second when he smiled, already having broken into the device.

"Nick's birthday… very unsafe for a passcode." Marvin turned towards Veronica and put the gun to her head again, this time also bringing her phone to one of her ears.

"Trust me, darling. I am only doing what's fair…. Now, I don't like to be kept waiting," he said menacingly.

Veronica shook as she waited for sound to come through the phone. Any sound would have been welcome. Any sound was better than the chilling silence she found herself in. Eventually, Nick's confused voice was in her ear and she did her best to speak.

"N-Nick…. He doesn't like to be kept waiting…"

* * *

 _Precinct One_

There was always something awkward about a ride in a taxi to Judy. Despite her normally chipper and friendly attitude that made it rather easy to talk to complete strangers, she never enjoyed riding in the back of a taxi with a driver that didn't look too friendly. Each time she was forced to take a cab it wasn't too bad, though it wasn't the most pleasant experience in the world, either. She would do her best to make conversation, though it was typical of the driver to ignore her. This time was no different, though she made zero attempts at acknowledging the driver except to tell him where she needed to go.

The ride had been completely silent since then, and she was grateful. Due to what she'd just learned, it was going to be hard to maintain a coherent conversation since there was so much going through her head, where to find Nick being the most prominent of everything.

The only problem was that she had no idea _where_ she could go to find Nick. She knew that he was probably headed to the old abandoned power plant, but where that building was, she didn't know. According to Nick, very few people actually knew where it was located, because it was completely hidden from view and no longer a topic for discussion among the citizens of Zootopia like it was when it was brand new many decades ago. She only hoped that Bogo or someone knew what she was talking about, or that they could learn of its location some other way.

The ride seemed to be over much faster than it should have, something that Judy was very thankful for. The day had been incredibly eventful and by now she was feeling as tired as ever scaling the few steps that led to the ZPD. She was there, and help was about to be on its way… wherever it had to go.

Bursting through the doors of the Precinct, Judy watched Clawhauser nearly jump out of his desk and look wide-eyed at the bunny causing all of the disruptions so late at night. Judy struggled to walk perfectly straight due to how tired she was, though she still did her best to get herself to Clawhauser's desk.

Arriving at the cheetah's desk, Judy held up a finger, noting that she had something important to say. "I need to see chief, right now!" she proclaimed amidst some exhausted breaths.

"He's in his office," Clawhauser said simply, letting an amused smile creep onto his face at the way Judy was acting so out of character. Judy offered a muffled thank you as she took off once again towards the stairs. Racing up the stairwell, something that was much harder than it should have been, Judy used all of the strength she had left in her to make it to the top.

Within seconds Judy had conquered the stairs and was already on her way to Bogo's office. Coming in fast, Judy slid to a stop right in front of the door. Not one to waste time, especially in her current situation, Judy opened the door and flew into the full office, which currently contained Chief Bogo, Tanya, and Wolford. Judy looked up at all three mammals, who were currently confused at her suddenly bursting in.

"Hopps…" Bogo said broodingly. "I thought I told you to stay home and get some rest…"

"I know, sir, but something happened. Nick is gone. I think he's going to find Marvin Rathmore."

Bogo stared at Judy for a few seconds before he lowered his head and sighed. "What is wrong with that fox…?"

"He's got his mother," Judy added, hoping to shed some more light on the situation. "Marvin wants Nick dead for reasons that I have yet to understand," she lied in response. "Nick is trying to save his mother. We need to find him."

"I wish we could, Judy. We have no idea where Marvin came from or went after that deal you two watched. He's disappeared," Tanya added. Judy's ears shot up and she gave the caracal a strange look.

"You couldn't find him on the traffic cameras?"

"No sign of him in the footage," Wolford said. "It shows your arrival and the affiliates of Marvin's that he dealt with, but he wasn't shown arriving or leaving. Unless you know where Nick is going, then we're stuck."

Judy remained silent, finding it hard to believe that Marvin was able to get by the traffic cameras, but soon found that to not be so difficult to understand.

"I think I've figured it out," Judy said. All three mammals looked at her and waited for her to continue. "It's simple, really. If he never showed up or left the church, then he must've arrived from somewhere inside the churchyard. I'm assuming there are no cameras in the churchyard, are there?" Bogo shook his head, indicating that she was correct. "So then we need to figure out where that may be. I think we need to go back to the churchyard/"

Standing up, Bogo looked at his three officers. "Wolford, go find Officers McHorn and Rhinowitz and tell them that we are leaving immediately. Head back to the church as soon as you find him. Gear up and prepare for a raid."

"Yes, sir!" came Wolford's reply as he left Bogo's office. The buffalo turned to Tanya and Judy, to which they stood at attention.

"Officer Kasten, take Officer Hopps here to the church. I will be behind you the entire way." Turning his attention to only Judy, he gave his final command. "You are to do as little as possible. No getting in the way since you are supposed to be on leave. But since you seem to know a lot about Wilde's relationship with our perp, you can get us to the right place. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" both of them said in reply.

"Good. Now gear up, and let's get ready to end this. I'll be losing no officers tonight."

Tanya and Judy left Bogo's office, and both headed first to the locker room for them to get their usual gear. Along the way, Tanya spoke her first real words to the rabbit since the night of her wedding.

"So, how are things with you and Nick?" she said in an almost mocking tone.

"Not the time, Kasten! Nick's life is in danger!" Judy shouted.

"I know, I know… I'm just trying to lighten the mood. But seriously, how are things with you two? You seemed a bit tense at my wedding."

Judy sighed, not really wanting to talk about it right now, but figuring that Tanya should probably know. "Not good. Nick wants to have kits now, but I'm not ready to, nor do I really want to."

"So… are you still together? Because I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart that I have been rooting for you two from day one."

"We are, but I gave Nick a choice. Whatever he feels will make him that happiest, that's what I want, too," Judy said. Tanya glanced at Judy and pursed her lips. She didn't respond. To her, it sounded as though she really didn't want to talk about it, and she figured she'd pushed that too far. Judy sounded more annoyed than anything. "He hasn't made a decision yet…"

"I know he loves you. The day that we had that talk… I've never heard him sound so genuine about the way he feels, or about anything, really. If he feels that way, I think you already know what he is going to decide. And besides, who wouldn't want to be with you? You're amazing!"

"Thanks, Tanya…" Judy replied though she didn't sound too enthusiastic.

"Hey, I mean it. You've done a lot for him… it's sort of a legend around the Precinct."

Judy internally cringed when she said that. She didn't want to think that rumors about Nick and Judy were being spread around the Precinct, but now she figured that her fear was actually true.

"What does this 'legend' say?" Judy asked, fearing that the answer was not going to be something she liked.

"Well, we all know that he helped you solve the Nighthowler case, but we don't really know much about Nick and what he did before. What I've heard is that Nick used to live on the streets and that you convinced him to become a police officer. Is that true?"

Judy turned to look at Tanya as they continued towards the armory. "Yeah, it is true. I just wish I could do more for him, though. I just get this weird feeling when I think that there is the possibility of us raising kits together. I've been exposed to kits my whole life. Up until about six or seven years ago, my parents were still having them. My parents were the best around. I don't think I could ever be as great as they were."

Tanya scoffed. "Oh, don't sell yourself short, Judy. You've had plenty of practice, haven't you? You should know how to take care of a child."

"That's not the issue, Tanya. There's a huge difference between taking care of a kit and parenting one. I feel like I don't have what it takes."

"Ok, now what ever happened to the Judy that never gave up on anything, because you certainly don't sound like her! In the time that I've known you, I've never seen you give up on anything! You could literally do anything, Judy, and I mean that! I mean, who's ever heard of a bunny taking down a rhino in one shot? If you can do that, raising kits should be a walk in the park!"

"I love your enthusiasm, but I don't really see how those two things correlate."

"That's not the point, Judy!" Tanya shouted. "The point is that you have always gone into every situation with a great mindset. This should be no different! I understand that having kits is a huge life decision, but I think that you might be a bit too cautious, here. You never know… having kits, even if they aren't your own, might just be the best decision of your life."

Judy sighed. "Maybe you're right, but that still doesn't get rid of that weird feeling. I just can't shake the feeling that this isn't going to be worth it in the end. Eventually, we're going to have to be public about it… I don't know if I could handle all of the negative attention."

Tanya understood her hesitation with getting more involved with Nick. They were the only interspecies couple that she knew of, and with Judy being relatively well known for solving the Nighthowler case, if word got out they would become very attractive to the media. Everyone knew how corrupt the media was, only putting out stories about what people wanted to hear and never really telling the truth. All kinds of bad things could be said about them and their private life.

"But Judy, it's _Nick._ Wouldn't _he_ be worth all of the negative attention? I can see it in you, he is the one for you and nothing can get in the way of true love, cheesy as it is to say." Judy didn't chuckle. She didn't react in any way other than continuing to stare off into space as they approached the armory. Tanya didn't want to upset Judy, especially with what she was dealing with right now. Nick's life was in danger, and if they didn't hurry it might be too late.

"Let's find Nick… he needs us," Tanya said quietly. The two quickened their pace and pretty soon they were at the armory, getting more protective gear such as a thicker chest plate for Judy, and partial riot gear, which included knee and elbow pads, gloves, and clothing woven with Kevlar.

Despite being told to do very little in the area of actually getting involved with the raid, the rabbit still needed to be properly armed and protected just in case she was needed. Judy and Tanya then both grabbed the weaponry that would be necessary for an occasion such as this. Judy took her usual tranq pistol and Tanya a much larger and more powerful tranq rifle. The extra bit that was only used as a last resort came next. The lethal firearms.

Long ago, the city had outlawed private ownership of lethal firearms, only allowing the ZPD and other registered authorities to own them, such as firing ranges. Judy had practiced several times with the pistol she held in her paws, though never before did she think she would need to carry it with her. Tanya grabbed a similar model, only this one was more suited to fit her larger paws and was a significantly larger caliber. Having everything that they would need for a raid, Tanya and Judy made their way to the motor pool where Judy followed the caracal to her patrol car. Starting it right up and pulling away, Judy gulped as she saw behind her the hulking form of Chief Bogo sitting at the wheel of his own cruizer. Behind him was a much larger vehicle, one designed to carry several very large mammals all wearing full riot gear. The SWAT truck's engine roared in the enclosed garage and Tanya finally pulled everyone out and led them on their way to find Nick.

It was at this moment that Judy's heart finally started to beat faster and faster as they continued driving. Thinking about what Nick had told her as they were walking to his apartment, she began to worry even more than before. Suddenly she wasn't so worried about anything else. All she could do was remember what Nick had told her. He wanted Marvin to shoot him; end his life without any hesitation. Judy knew that he said it was all in the heat of the moment, but now that he was going alone to face the one that wanted nothing more than to end his life, she wasn't so sure that was true anymore.

"Step on it, Tanya," Judy said, looking at the caracal with great concern evident in her eyes. Tanya only gave her a fleeting glance, but instantly understood the dire need for them to get to the churchyard. Tanya gave no hesitation in flooring the accelerator. Looking back out of the windshield, Judy closed her eyes and clenched her fists as she hoped Nick was alright.

"I don't think we have much time."

* * *

 _South Canyon Highway_

He felt as though he'd been walking forever. His feet were sore, his eyes burned from lack of sleep. His paws were sore from being clenched into tight fists for so long. His entire body ached, and yet he carried onward towards almost certain death. At this point, he was practically welcoming death into his home. Marvin had terrorized his life for years, whether it was physically or just with the constant threat of him finding Nick, it was finally catching up with him.

Nick wasn't keen on dying. Nobody ever really was, but Nick was prepared for the possibility especially if it meant saving his mother's life. Nick found it disgusting that Mavin would go to such great lengths just to get some revenge. This could have easily been avoided had he just killed Nick when he was literally tied up and at his mercy. His mother had nothing to do with this previously, but now she was the subject of the matter. It really made no sense to him, but nothing that fox did made any sense. He was utterly deranged. Nick figured his thirst for blood had simply reached a new level. Nick was no longer enough for him.

A cool breeze blew through the treetops above him, the night still remained eerily silent. Well, it was more like morning at this point, but it didn't really matter to him. All he cared about was getting his mother to safety.

Eventually, Nick was out of the tree-covered pathway with a nearly depleted box of blueberries. Inside were just three more of the little fruits, and Nick popped them in his mouth without any hesitation.

 _Hopefully, I didn't waste them in vain…_ he thought to himself as he let the box fall to the ground, stomping on it with his left foot.

Looking around, Nick saw no one near him and no sign of anyone. In front of him was a large expanse of dirt and gravel, much like the churchyard, only this was much larger. The other difference was the building situated at the very back of the lot. This one was much larger, towering over the tip of the church's weathered steeple. It was a building which succumbed to the natural flow of progress, long forgotten by the city it once powered. One would never have known it existed if they hadn't been told about it by someone of a much greater level of life experience. It was far from the highway, the only way in being the path that Nick had just traveled.

Nick began his approach towards the building with a confidence-boosting sigh. He had a feeling that it would only be a matter of time before he died or the ZPD managed to find him.

The power station grew ever closer and closer as he walked. It's dark brown brick facade would have been impossible to spot on a night like this having no moon, but thanks to his improved sight in the dark it wasn't too difficult.

Nick had finally made it to the structure he once spent so much time in. It hadn't changed a bit since the last time he saw it. The only difference he noticed was a pair of armed guards standing at the entrance. Nick made no effort to stay hidden from them, and once they spotted him he heard one of them shout, "You! Stop right there!" as both of them raised their weapons. Nick ignored their warning but was forced to shield his face as a spotlight was shone on his form, revealing his appearance to the guards much more clearly. Immediately they lowered their weapons and looked at him with great confusion.

Nick walked past them, staring with narrow eyes and a furrowed brow. He wasn't worried about anyone else trying to get a piece of him. If he knew Marvin even a little bit, he knew that he'd be getting his guards to be on the lookout for him. It was clear that Marvin wanted Nick all to himself. He probably wouldn't have been too happy if one of his guards decided to get in a few hits first.

Approaching the building, Nick placed his paw on the door and took one deep breath before he pressed forward and entered.

Seeing the inside of the structure for the first time in years was like a blast to the past. It was almost completely the same as he remembered it, filled with many crates and boxes that usually contained illicit substances and the occasional crate of weapons. Plenty of other foxes currently milled about the storage room, oblivious to Nick's presence. Right in front of him was a staircase leading into what looked to be a closed office, likely used by the supervisor of the power plant when it was operational.

No power generating equipment remained in the building. It was disassembled years ago and removed to make room of all of the other things that were inside, mostly the drugs. Overhead there was a metal skyway where guards were able to overlook the operations down below, likely to make sure no one tried to sneak away some of the illegal substances. Nick had been inside for nearly a minute when one of the guards finally noticed him, shouting and aiming his firearm at him. Nick once again pain no heed to them, knowing that they wouldn't be able to touch him.

Pretty soon several more guards showed up and were all looking directly at him, though the shouting had stopped as they all realized who it was. The sound of a door opening took Nick's attention away from the guards and to the office space where a grizzled old fox stood with a hideous smirk on his face. A low growl escaped Nick's throat as he stared at Marvin with as much hate as he could muster.

"Nicholas! How nice of you to join me! Come!" he beckoned. "There are some things I would like to show you!" Marvin moved out of the way, giving Nick the go-ahead to enter the space with Marvin. He slowly walked up the stairs seeing Marvin grin menacingly as he approached. Coming within inches of the fox, Nick didn't say a word and waited for Marvin to walk into the room. Once again beckoning with an empty paw, Nick gave into his wishes and walked inside.

It was a fairly simple room. Much longer than it was wide, it made the room appear to be quite large. It contained some tables that lined the walls, each one piled with something whether it be papers, empty boxes, or other miscellaneous objects. Metal pipes traveled the height of the room on the right side, some of them jutting into the usable space a little bit. It didn't look like it was used for much, though Nick did notice a small futon in the far left corner sat next to another exit.

He didn't think it was too exciting of a room if it weren't for the chair placed just to the right of the futon, right in line with Nick, though on the opposite end. Tied to the chair was Nick's mother, and he was just about to run to her when he felt cold metal touch the base of his tail and a dull poke on his back from the muzzle of a handgun.

"No, no, no… you go where I say you can go or both of you die," Marvin said almost mockingly, like a mother scolding a child for taking a cookie before dinner. Pretty soon the cleaver was removed and Nick heard the metallic sound of it being put back in its holster, though the pistol remained pressed at his back. Being shoved forward, Nick slowly walked, bringing himself closer and closer to his mother who stared at him with utmost fear. When they were only a couple of meters away, Nick could see that her mouth was bound shut so that she couldn't speak. Mumbles and whimpers escaped the ragged cloth that silenced her, though it was nothing that Nick could understand. He wanted so badly to help her get out, but he wanted her to stay alive. Nick gulped and gave her a reassuring glance as he was prodded to the left.

"Open the door," Marvin said. Nick did as he was told without hesitation, twisting the knob slowly to reveal a small balcony that overlooked the entire space. From up here, it all looked so different. The stacks of boxes and crates were usually so intimidating because of their height, though now he was above them all, making them seem insignificant in comparison.

Nick felt the gun be removed from his back and the indistinct click of the safety being turned off. A low chuckle escaped from Marvin's throat as he aimed it right at the middle of Nick's back.

"It was nice knowing you, Nicholas. Any last words?"

Though Marvin couldn't see it, Nick grinned with pleasure as he spoke clearly to his mortal enemy.

"Watch where you aim."

Marvin growled as he pulled the trigger, only to have the shot miss Nick by inches and splinter one of the boxes below. Nick's tail had swung across and hit Marvin's paw at the perfect time to misdirect his shot and make him vulnerable. Nick quickly turned around fist already clenched.

The grin now replaced with a snarl and flared nostrils, nothing but hellish slits for eyes stared back as Nick sent his fist right into Marvin's jaw, knocking him back through the entrance of the door, pistol falling to the ground far below.

* * *

 **A/N: So it looks like Nick isn't dead... yet... There is still a pretty intense battle that's about to happen, and the ZPD could be getting involved any minute by that point. It's only a matter of time... (insert evil laugh here). We're beginning the downward descent with the story. Probably only a couple more chapters before it's all over, though I am planning a few epilogue chapters, which should be a good time! Of course, don't forget to follow and favorite if you haven't already, and please leave a review!**

 **As always, thanks so much for reading, take care. Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	13. Sunrise

**A/N: Hey guys, I hope you're ready for part one of the climactic chapter of** _ **Pieces**_ **! I have been imagining this chapter ever since this story started. I really enjoyed the fight scene, and I hope you do as well!**

" **Pieces" - By Rob Thomas**

* * *

 _South Canyon Church - 5:27 A.M._

As it happened mere hours before, police officers filled the lot of the church yard, though this time with their flashing lights staying off and sirens being hushed to not draw any attention to themselves. Two cruizers and a SWAT truck bounced over the rough terrain, soon coming to a stop with billows of dust following the gentle breeze as they all got out.

Judy immediately began getting to work with all of the searching she could, trying her best to help the group out despite Bogo's orders to do very little. The buffalo didn't seem to mind this much as she wasn't in any particular danger at the moment, but he was certain that there would be trouble very soon.

All in all, there were six of them, a number that was soon going to grow as more armored officers would arrive at the scene when they finished their preparation. It would likely be several minutes before they arrived, so, for now, their job was to figure out where Nick had gone. To do so, they planned to scan every square inch of the place until something gave them a lead.

The night felt darker than usual. The new moon paired with thick overcast clouds made for a truly hard time seeing. Judy had her flashlight out, though she wondered if it actually had new batteries like she knew it did, as the darkness almost seemed to drown out the light. She began on the right side of the lot, searching the outer edge of the gravel and the beginning of the brush and trees that stood thick and almost served as a barrier to whatever lay inside.

Judy felt a tinge of flashback as she came to the first corner of the lot. Several hours before, this was where Nick and her had been when she first had the chance to see Marvin in the fur. She slowly approached the brush and walked around to where they had made their little hideout. She silently chastised herself for having little control over her ears, but it wasn't really her fault. No rabbit could really control where their ears went when a sound came up, but still, she wished that they had just stayed down. It would have made things quite different if they had, and right now she wouldn't feel like such a—"

" _I really am just a dumb bunny…"_

Judy quickly lifted her foot up from where she last stepped, but not before wondering how she'd just heard herself from about a year ago. The sound brought her back to being under the bridge with Nick, seeing him back turned to her and silent as ever. Taking a long hard glance at the object below her, she almost had to laugh.

"My carrot pen…" she said to herself quietly as she bent down to pick up the cherished little device, a hint of nostalgia playing at her words. She admired it as she never had before, a smile creeping onto her face. So much had been going on that she didn't even know it was gone until now. She pocketed the pen and continued looking over the area, but soon decided to keep looking for a way to find Nick. There had to be somewhere that they could go to find him. She was certain of it.

As Judy kept searching, Tanya's voice on her walkie sounded.

" _Hopps, we found Nick's cruizer. Come on back to the rendezvous point."_ Judy lifted the walkie to her mouth.

"Copy that. On my way," she said as she turned back from where she came from and bounced onward to the three parked vehicles. It wasn't too much of a walk. The lot was rather large for such a small church, but it only took her a little bit to get back to the cars where Tanya was waiting for Judy. The caracal didn't appear to be in very good shape right now, but nobody really did. Everyone was tired, especially Judy, and there was a tension in the air that made it hard to think about what was going through Nick's head and what could possibly happen to him. They all wanted him to be safe, but with him likely being in the company of Marvin at this point, everyone was nervous, or even scared for him.

Tanya beckoned her to follow, but soon several lights showed themselves as the roar of two more large and powerful engines approached. Tanya and Judy both stared while shielding their eyes from the lights. The two more SWAT trucks came to a stop, their engines becoming silent as they were turned off. Five mammals from each got out, but one, in particular, approached the caracal and bunny.

"Captain Casey, good to see you here. Right on time, as well," Judy said to the moose that towered over the two of them. He looked down at the small mammals and gave them a welcoming smile.

"Of course, Officer Hopps. So, anything yet?" he asked. Captain Solanus Casey was the walking definition of a gentle giant. He was one of the meanest looking and most intimidating of the ZPD, yet he had a heart of gold and a true passion for leadership, making him a prime candidate for a police chief if it wasn't for his already senior age. Retirement for him was only a few years away.

His coarse brown fur was dull and graying, though there was one feature of him that only became more brilliant as he aged. His massive, spectacular antlers jutted out at all kinds of angles, though each one appeared almost completely alike. They made him appear that much more intimidating, and you certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of them if he charged at you.

"We just found Wilde's cruizer. Officer Kasten was just leading me there now," Judy added as Tanya began leading the several mammals to the new area of interest.

Judy looked behind her, seeing a group of ten of the ZPD's roughest and toughest officers and sergeants all dressed from head to foot in protective gear. The much larger group walked silently until they found the abandoned ZPD cruizer where Chief Bogo was already taking a look at the scene, specifically for some footprints to see where Nick had walked. Judy had taken to do the same thing, though her eyes spotted something other than footprints. She knelt down and picked up the tiny object, letting a sad smile curl the corners of her lips. It seemed as if Nick knew that they were going to be coming after him. She held it up to Bogo.

"I don't think blueberries grow around here." Bogo looked at the small fruit then began his own search for them as well. Everyone followed Judy and Bogo, finding subsequent blueberries that led to a small pile of them. Where the pile sat was just more weeds about as tall as Judy, though upon further inspection, she could see tire tracks just past the weeds, though difficult to spot due to how light they were.

Judy gave the path one last glance before she turned to everyone who looked at her with anticipation.

"This is the beginning of the end for The Reds," she shouted. "They have terrorized this city for generations, but they will be no more by the time the sun rises. At the end of this path is where our friend is currently surrounded by many other mammals that want to kill him. As much as I don't want to think about it, he could be dead already, or even worse, being tortured to that point. Nick is in danger, and there's a reason that we're all out here tonight. It's time to get some payback for what they've done not only to Nick, but to all of us in the process. Let us not stand for injustice, otherwise, what are we here for? All of us are wearing these uniforms because of one thing. We all desire to bring peace and justice for everyone in the city. Let's give them a taste of that justice tonight!"

There were unison shouts and hollers of pride among the group of mammals before her. She turned to Chief Bogo who actually smiled at her.

"Do you think the SWAT trucks can fit through there?" she asked. Bogo chuckled a bit as he nodded to Captain Casey, who ordered all of his mammals back in the trucks.

"They might break a few branches," he responded as he turned back to Judy. The rabbit smiled herself, thinking it to be a bit amusing that Bogo was acting like this. She wondered if he was a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Granted, this wasn't her idea of something fun to do to make her heart beat fast, but it sure brought her energy up knowing what they were all about to do and the reason behind it. Judy walked back to Tanya's cruizer, the caracal already being back inside and ready to go. Just as she had before, Judy looked behind her and saw everyone ready to go. The sight nearly made her shed a tear knowing that all of them were there for Nick.

Tanya led the way, slowly driving forward and into the depths of the forest, the tall weeds scraping on the underside of the car as they drove along. The road was bumpy and rough, causing the rabbit to have to hold onto the side of the door so she kept herself from moving too much in her seat. From behind she could hear the sharp snapping of branches as the much taller and wider SWAT trucks entered the path, breaking off branches as they followed the two cruizers.

It was a much longer drive than she expected. Their progress was greatly slowed by the condition of the terrain, but soon enough a much larger gravel field lay ahead of them, and at the very back of it was a tall and clearly old building. It's presence was somewhat terrifying, as only a few lights illuminated the exterior. A couple of guards stood at the front of the building, just now taking notice of the vehicles that now quickly sped towards them, having gotten onto the smoother gravel. As they got much closer, Tanya flicked on her lights and sirens, causing the guards to drop their weapons and scatter. The vehicles slid to a halt in front of the old abandoned power station and the majority of the vehicle's occupants were out and ready to take action. Judy still sat in the passenger seat of Tanya's car, wondering if she should still get out and be there just in case.

Judy wasn't given much of a chance to think about it as soon Bogo was at her door. He opened it up slowly and peeked in.

"Just stay here and stay out of trouble. I don't need you getting in a scuffle in your current state. Do it for yourself, not for me, understood?" he asked. Judy looked up at Bogo slowly, wishing that she could do more to help out, but knowing exactly why she couldn't.

"Understood, sir," she nodded. Bogo shut her door and left her to be all by herself. After a little while, Judy was finally able to wonder how it sounded so quiet tonight when so much was going on behind the scenes. Who knew how many other members of The Reds were in that building, and who knew where Marvin and Nick were. She wanted to know. She had to know.

Judy felt the area around her left hip. Her paw graced the handle of her tranq pistol as she put on a devious smile.

Judy got out of the car and began making her way towards the building. She walked slowly, but her energy soared like she'd been given a shot of adrenaline. Her heart started beating rapidly as her walking pace quickened to a run. Coming inside the building, she heard shouts and demands from the ZPD, as well as the occasional gunshot likely from members of The Reds that were not so keen on going to jail tonight.

Very briefly she heard a familiar cry of pain from somewhere nearby and her ears pointed towards a set of stairs that were slightly hidden by some crates. She started towards them, only to hear no more sound coming from the room that the stairs led to. She started running, and when she got to the closed door, slammed it open as hard as she could. A split second was all it took for her to go from calm and focused to raged and ready to beat some old, moth-eaten fox right in front of her.

She briefly caught a glimpse of his face before she sprinted towards him and jumped in the air, feet aimed right on target.

* * *

 _The Reds Headquarters_

Nick stared at his fist for a moment. It radiated with a burning pain, and he could tell that it would be bruised severely, but he still felt more alive than ever. He hadn't expected socking Marvin in the jaw would feel so good, but he had an energy like never before and was ready to get into a scuffle.

Nick heard a primal growl come from Marvin as he lay on the floor, paw clutching his jaw where Nick had just hit him… hard. Going back inside the room, Nick shut the door behind him and looked down on the ground where Marvin swiftly got back up and held his paws up in defense. This was how it was going to be. Paw to paw combat until only one was left standing.

Nick liked the sound of that.

Nick and Marvin danced around each other, both of them waiting for the perfect time to strike. This was the first time Nick had really had a chance to observe his movements in many years. Apparently the incident with him thirteen years ago had more of an effect on Marvin's body than Nick originally thought. Marvin appeared to be walking with a bit of a limp and his arms were slightly shaky, though a fierce determination shone through his eyes. Rage contributed to unforeseen strength, so Nick had to be a bit careful.

He may have been old, but that age gave him his many years of martial arts training and honing his skills, making him deadly and nearly unmatched in paw to paw combat. Nick felt confident that he could take him alone, but he feared that even if Judy were here it would be hard for her to take him down.

Nick shook his head and refocused. That was the one thing that he couldn't afford to lose. It was his only defense against Marvin's impressive fist speed and agility, so if he lost focus it could possibly be a swift end for Nick. But there was one thing that he could use to his advantage, something that he hoped would cause the old tod to make a mistake.

Marvin's temper.

"Listen up, old geezer. I hope you know that the ZPD is on its way. You've already lost!" Nick shouted as they walked in circles around each other. Marvin growled again. Nick was getting him angry.

"I could care less about that at this point!" he shouted back in pure rage. "I'll get the blood pouring out of every hole in your body if it's the last thing I do! I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Nick smirked at him. "You couldn't beat a drum!"

"That's it!" Marvin charged at Nick, tackling him and causing the two of them to tumble onto the floor. Both of them struggled to get on top of the other, but eventually Marvin managed to overpower Nick and get him pinned to the ground. Marvin smiled menacingly into Nick's eyes as he proceeded to give him blow after blow with his tightly clenched fist. Nick could feel several cuts on his face and lips begin to bleed quite a bit, the taste of it in his mouth giving him a new-found energy that allowed him to slide forward enough and use his legs to buck Marvin over him, making the fox land square on his face.

Nick took the opportunity and quickly got up and aimed his tranq gun at Marvin. Nick heard the shot hit its target directly, but disappointment struck him as he saw the dart sticking directly out of Marvin's chest. The old vulpine smirked as he grabbed it, yanked it out and threw it across the room.

"Bullet-proof vest," he boasted, pounding his fist on his chest. "Never a minute without it thanks to you!" Marvin ran forward, throwing punches in a quick fashion which caused Nick to back up with each hit. A swift roundhouse kick was all it took for Marvin to disarm him, sending the tranq gun flying across the room and under one of the many tables along the walls. It would be impossible for Nick to get it back without making himself needlessly vulnerable.

Marvin brought his other foot straight towards Nick's gut, but Nick was able to grab hold of it and swing Marvin around until he let go, throwing Marvin into one of the tables, knocking it and all of its contents onto the floor.

Paper, writing utensils, and a couple lengths of steel pipe fell onto the floor as Marvin crashed into the table. He got up as quickly as possible and once again charged at Nick, but Nick was ready for it this time and was able to dodge the old fox. Nick smirked as he put his foot out just enough to trip Marvin, sending him crashing to the floor. Nick heard an angry growl come from Marvin. That was one of the oldest tricks in the book!

As Marvin tried to get up, Nick was ready to try and apprehend him now that he was down on the ground. He had a paw feel for his pawcuffs as he quickly approached Marvin, ready to turn him over and put him away for good. But as he came close enough, one kick from Marvin's legs was all it took to send Nick to the floor, gasping for breath as Marvin's feet hit Nick directly in the abdomen.

Both of the foxes lay on the floor, and getting up was proving to be a painfully slow process for the two of them.

Nick breathed heavily and was not faring too well. The fur on his face was covered in matted blood and his paw hurt from punching Marvin in the jaw. Marvin looked to be only a little better than Nick, though, only panting a little bit and with no visible cuts and bruises. Nick refocused and approached Marvin again, leaving his paws up by his face to protect and defend. Marvin mirrored his moves, and once again the two were circling around the room, never once allowing the other to get the upper paw.

Nick didn't think it was too bad of an idea. The longer they stayed like this, the more time it allowed for Judy and the ZPD to arrive. He needed all the time he could get, so he wanted to delay as much as possible while not getting into a sticky situation.

Marvin saw through Nick's delaying tactic and finally got close enough to make a move. Faking one punch, Marvin managed to distract Nick just enough to get a decent hit on Nick, though it didn't do much to knock him down.

Marvin began throwing punch after punch, each time Nick either dodged or was able to block it. Each punch pushed Nick back further and further until he was just about pressed up against one of the tables lining the walls. As one of Marvin's fists headed directly for Nick's face, Nick reached up and squeezed with all of his might, grabbing Marvin's arm and preventing him from using that arm. Marvin was caught off guard by this which allowed for Nick to send his fist right into Marvin's gut.

He was pushed back and Nick took the chance to get some hits of his own. His one fist still hurt from his initial punch to Marvin's jaw, but that was the least of his worries right now. Nick managed to get a stunning hit on Marvin which caused the old fox to stumble back a little. Nick ran forward and brought his arm around Marvin's neck, putting him in a chokehold.

Nick slowly brought him to the ground and squeezed tight, though in Marvin's flailing he hit Nick right in the eye. Nick screamed in pain as he unintentionally released Marvin. Both of them separated, and Marvin was back on his feet in seconds.

Both of them stood in one place, Marvin slightly hunched over and breathing heavily. Nick stared with his one eye, leaving the other closed as it was too painful to keep it open.

"You're really trying to fight certain death? Are you an idiot?" Marvin spat.

"No, I'm not an idiot. I just have priorities other than myself. Maybe you should try caring about someone other than yourself for once, you sick bastard!" Nick shouted.

"Do you think anyone could get to this position worrying about the well-being of others? The sooner you realize that you should only care about yourself, the sooner you become something other than a useless, backstabbing, unloyal piece of pelt! You could have made something of yourself, Nicholas! You could have been powerful! Now look at you, you've become a monster! You're not even the same fox I used to know. What the hell happened?"

"I realized that I was more than just a fox," Nick said. "You can still see that in yourself if you take a step back and think about all of the things you've done and the reasons behind them."

For the first time in years, Marvin went deep into thought, thinking back on all of the people he'd killed, all of the others he'd injured, slandered, lives that he'd ruined, all in the name of giving him more "power". It didn't do any good for him in the end. He knew that by the end of this he was going to be in prison, if not dead. He'd been too careless kidnapping two police officers and letting them go almost unscathed. It was a terrible decision in retrospect, but now he had no choice but to embrace the end and do as much damage as possible. Marvin thought about every single act of evil he'd done over the last several years and instantly realized the reason behind each one.

It made him look and sound like a fox. He embraced all of the hateful things that people said about his kind. It was just easier to do that than to go against the tide and stand out.

"I was like you once, small and angry about everything," Nick began. Marvin relaxed for the moment, staring at Nick with an eyebrow raised. "I thought that being a fox was all I could be. Shifty and untrustworthy, a no good predator that was only out to take advantage of some unsuspecting civilian. I found pleasure in taking advantage of other mammals. I saw life on the streets as my only option, and for years things stayed that way. But I wasn't blind forever. I met someone that was the embodiment of what I aspired to be. She went against the tide and proved to everyone else that a bunny could be more than just a carrot farmer. She showed me that I wanted to stand out when I didn't even know it myself. We're not so different, you and I. I can see that you want to be good. You want to bring happiness and joy to the world. It's all you've ever wanted, isn't it?"

Marvin stared at Nick as he panted, baffled by what Nick had just said. Marvin chuckled. He soon broke out into full-blown laughter. Bringing his gaze back to Nick and wiping away a tear, Marvin tensed up and prepared to strike once more.

"You don't know me at all, Nicholas," he said with a menacing smile. Marvin sprinted forward, hardly giving Nick enough time to react. Marvin's fist aimed right for Nick's face, but he ducked just in time and was able to get behind Marvin. Nick jumped on his back and tried to bring him to the floor, but Marvin managed to keep his balance. Nick felt Marvin lean forward, only to have him purposely fall back onto Nick.

When he hit the floor, all of the air in Nick's lungs was knocked out and he struggled to breathe. The force of the impact caused Nick to lose his grasp on Marvin and the old fox was able to get back up. Nick struggled to his feet, but when he got there Marvin was waiting to get more hits in. Nick managed to dodge a few strikes, but eventually his exhaustion was starting to catch up with him. Nick's agility was greatly effected and Marvin put two solid punches on him, one in the face and the final one right in his gut.

With Nick stunned, Marvin saw it fit to end this fight once and for all. Marvin brought his foot around in a powerful kick which connected with the side of Nick's head.

As he fell to the floor, Nick felt like he saw stars for several moments and was now unable to get himself to move. Marvin had won. This was surely the end for him. With blurry vision, Nick tried to get a look at his surroundings, though the pain from the kick he took was excruciating and he could only move a little bit. He could see Marvin removing his cleaver from it's holster. This was no doubt the end for Nick.

Marvin stopped and looked across the room, perhaps at the door they first came in through. There was a gray blur that flew through the air which almost caused Nick's heart to beat out of his chest.

The ZPD had arrived.

"HEYAAAA!" Judy shouted as her powerful legs were thrust directly into Marvin's chest, causing the fox to be launched across the room. Nick felt a surge of joy knowing that Judy was here, but there was also a tinge of dread. He knew exactly who she was going up against. Marvin may have been much smaller than a rhino, but he was agile, almost as quick as Judy. He had size against her, as well as many more years of experience when it came to paw to paw combat. It would be a difficult fight for both of them. Nick's only hope was that Marvin was worn out enough from their fight.

Judy did a backward somersault as she landed on the ground, breaking her fall and helping her to stay in a defensive stance. Marvin was now flat on his back, groaning in pain as he got up. Judy was amazed that he was able to get up after that, but she knew that he wouldn't be able to take another hit that hard.

"That's gonna be the last mistake you ever make, rabbit!" he snarled. Judy kept one paw on her tranq pistol as she pointed at him. Nick wanted to try and tell her that a tranq pistol was useless against him, but for some reason he couldn't get himself to say it.

"Stand down! We have the place surrounded!" Judy shouted. Marvin simply smirked as he got back on his feet, albeit slowly.

"No thanks. I'm not one to leave with unfinished business."

Marvin ran at her with impressive speed, and Judy was ready to make her move as he got close enough. As he came within range, Marvin jumped over her to try and get her from behind. Judy spun around quickly, just barely managing to dodge one of his fists. She parried by jumping onto his forearm and doing a backflip, one that caused her foot to uppercut his chin. Marvin fell onto his back while Judy completed her flip, landing feet first and admiring her handiwork. The fox looked at Judy with bloodlust as he shouted, "You have a death wish?"

"Kinda hard to kill me when you can't even touch me! I'm going to order you again to stand down!"

Marvin got back up, still ignoring Judy's orders. The rabbit grumbled, figuring that it wouldn't have been that easy to get him.

Marvin tried a different tactic this time, approaching the rabbit slowly and watching her every move. Her stance, her breaths, each blink of her eyes. They were all timed so well to make sure that she never missed a thing during a fight. He had to admit, this rabbit wasn't someone to mess around with.

Rabbit…

Marvin suddenly got an idea that he hoped would work, though knowing who she worked with, it might be a long shot.

Marvin let out a growl as his claws extended from their sheaths with an almost metallic resonance, fingers arching like the tentacles of a squid. The sound suddenly brought Judy back to when she was nine years old. Gideon Gray was standing over her having just slashed at her face, causing the three claw marks that were still visible as a scar on her left cheek.

She chuckled briefly as she recollected the memory, and she could see Marvin was surprised that she didn't even flinch. The sound didn't bother her in the slightest, and if anything, she was more focused than before. Marvin was too shocked to realize that Judy had begun her charge, soon to give him another kick in the chest. That was something that would end this fight quickly, so he had to dodge her or it would be game over for him. As she sailed through the air, feet pointing directly at Marvin's chest, he dropped to the ground as quickly as possible. As she passed overhead, he could feel the air right above his nose rush past him from Judy's speed.

Quickly twisting over and breaking into a run, Marvin was just in time to approach Judy who was just recovering from her miss. The fox brought his claws forward, slashing at Judy, but not at her face. He aimed right at the soft flesh of her neck, going for the kill.

Judy stumbled back as she dodged slash after slash, each time bringing her and Marvin closer and closer to where Nick still lay in a near immovable state. Judy stepped backward one last time, her feet catching on one another and causing her to stumble, though still stay standing. Marvin took the opportunity of her vulnerability and brought his foot around in one swift motion. Her eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen.

Nick watched in horror as Marvin's foot connected with impressive accuracy, right on Judy's side. She felt a wave of intense pain course through her abdomen as she was lifted into the air. A twisted, pained expression was the last look on her face that Marvin saw as she sailed towards the wall. Bruised ribs were going to be a certainty, if not broken ones.

It's an interesting feeling, flying through the air. You feel as though you're invincible, like nothing can hurt you. The air moving through your fur, it almost feels as though your heart has been set free from all that is bad in the world. That feeling usually only lasts a split second as your body is soon going to collide with something. In Judy's case, she hit the concrete wall with a dull smack, like a fish being dropped onto a cutting board for cleaning and filleting.

Out of everything that was inhibited due to his injuries, his hearing was not, and he could hear every gruesome detail. The sound of her head hitting the wall made him cringe.

It was the bitter end to it all, the situation that he hoped would not be the case had become a reality. Nick could see Judy trying as hard as she could to get up, but she was clearly winded and groggy, and she watched Marvin get closer and closer as the fear on her face became more noticeable. His mother was probably watching this whole thing, wishing that she could do something to help, yet knowing that there was nothing for her to do. Nick could hear footsteps coming up the staircase as an untapped strength came back to him. He put his paws on the floor, pushing up with all his might as he tried to stand.

Everything moved in slow motion. Nick looked right in front of him as he realized what he needed to do. His destiny lay right in front of him at three inches in diameter and fourteen inches long. Galvanized steel waited for him, the object calling to Nick, begging to be swung into the face of pure evil. Nick grabbed the pipe and lifted it up. It was heavy, which was good for him. He needed to make this one hurt.

Marvin made his way towards Judy, unaware that Nick was currently getting up with a pipe in his paws. The snickering fox looked at Judy and licked his lips, ready to tear into her and listen to her scream in pain as he murdered her, a sick pleasure that he loved. Marvin suddenly stopped when he saw a shadow move near him, turning his head to see Nick just in time. As the door to the room burst open, two words were muttered from Nick.

"Batter up."

A guttural bellow came from Nick's throat as he swung with all of his might at Marvin's head. The look of horror and defeat that Nick witnessed on the old tod's mug just before the pipe made contact was the greatest victory he could have ever received. The pipe hit Marvin right in the jaw, the sound of the bone breaking like a shot from a gun. Marvin's head snapped to the side and his entire body soon followed suit. Before he hit the ground, Marvin was already unconscious.

Marvin's limp body collided with the ground with a loud thud. Nick held the pipe in his two paws, leaning over and breathing heavily with a hint of a smile forming on his bloodied face.

Bogo and several others stood at the entrance to the room all with lethal firearms drawn and ready. Bogo looked down at the floor just in time to see a bloody fox fang land by his feet. Everyone lowered their weapons and watched as Nick looked up at them, letting out the faintest of chuckles before he fell to the ground exhausted.

* * *

 _Sunrise_

The fox currently sat on the edge of an ambulance, his head beginning to feel better from the fight. They'd given him enough morphine to keep the pain to a manageable level, but he knew well enough that once it started to wear off he would _really_ start to feel it again. His injuries weren't substantial enough to send him to the hospital, though he certainly didn't look to be in the best of shape. Cut after cut adorned his face, three of the worst already stitched together, the fourth one being finished up by a very talented panther medic. She was able to give Nick tight and uniform stitches even while he swayed slightly back and forth as he sat. It was as still as he could manage, and multiple times he apologized for it though she didn't seem to mind.

Nick looked out at the expansive lot he was in. Now filled to the brim with police cars, SWAT trucks, and transport vehicles, Nick instantly noticed how different it all looked in red and blue. It looked right, to him. This was how it needed to be for years.

Twenty-seven, he counted. Twenty-seven members of The Reds were removed from that building, including one of them on a stretcher, all thanks to him. It wasn't all of them, but from what he already knew it was enough of them that The Reds were as good as dissolved especially with them having incapacitated their leader.

Amazingly there were no casualties. Despite that fact, it all could have been easier. It can always be easier, Nick had learned. If everyone did good instead of bad, then there would be no criminals. There would be no reason for Nick's job. He still wished there were more good people in the world.

If there were, maybe he wouldn't be getting sewn back together. Maybe his mother wouldn't be sitting in Chief Bogo's cruizer with a shock blanket currently around her shoulders, shaking uncontrollably and scarred for life by what she had gone through. Maybe Judy wouldn't be off in some other ambulance getting examined by another paramedic. Maybe Marvin wouldn't be laying in the back of an ambulance currently en route to the nearest hospital. Maybe everything would be the same, there was simply no way to tell. He was still here, his mother was still in shock, Judy was still badly injured, and Marvin was still himself. Bad people would always exist. Nick just needed to stop them before they do something bad.

"Officer Wilde," the paramedic said. Nick turned his head slowly to meet her eyes. "You are going to be alright. Just be careful of the stitches and don't let them come out for five to seven days. Other than that, you should be good to go."

"Thank you," Nick said quietly as he carefully got down from the edge of the ambulance. Nick looked around the area. It had almost turned into a bit of a camp with all of the vehicles sitting around and everyone busy with something. It was hard to find anything specific in all of the commotion, but all Nick had to do was check all of the ambulances until he found the right one.

He passed by several officers during his search and all of them greeted him, though he ignored each acknowledgment. He had one thing on his mind, and he was not going to let anything get in the way this time.

Pretty soon Nick found, in the back of an ambulance, a small, quivering gray bunny with a shock blanket around her shoulders and a bandage around her head. Her violet eyes usually so full of life looked petrified and stared into one spot on the ground. The sight broke his heart, but he fully intended to try and fix it.

Her ears perked up as he approached her, and instantly he noticed a spark return to her eyes, though it still didn't look right. She was still pretty freaked out.

"Hey," was all he could manage. She looked up at him with a terrible look of pain, despair, and just a hint of joy upon seeing him. She patted the spot next to her with a gentle smile.

"Hey, you," she said back. Her voice was a little hoarse and she didn't look like her normal self. Judy should have been angry, but due to her current state, she really had no choice but to stay calm and try not to move.

"Listen, I'm… I'm really sorry about everything. I haven't been my usual self since we first encountered Marvin, have I?"

"No, you've been acting really weird, Nick. And not just weird, but a little bit concerning. Are you sure everything is going to be alright now that Marvin is in custody and The Reds are no more?"

"I don't know," Nick sighed. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But I still need to apologize for the way I treated you. That note… I'm sure wasn't the best news you've ever gotten."

"That's putting things very lightly," Judy claimed sternly. Nick could tell that she wasn't too happy with him, and he didn't blame her. "What the hell were you thinking, Nick? I understand that your mother was in danger, but we're here for each other! Don't you ever scare me like that… _ever again_."

Nick actually struggled to hold back some tears. This was one of the worst things that he could have ever done to Judy. He felt like he'd let her down, and more importantly, he nearly ruined her life. Had he gone in the way he originally planned, Nick would be the one on the stretcher, probably dead, and Judy would never be the same. His attitude towards everything had been off recently, more specifically his attitude towards life. He never wanted that to happen again. It was a promise he was willing to keep.

"I'm so sorry…" he said quietly, sniffing back tears as Judy leaned into him, giving him a gentle pat on his back. "I never wanted to hurt you. I said that when we first got together, and I… I failed you! I broke my promise!"

"I know you didn't mean to. You were just looking out for your mom, but I never want you to forget that we work best together. We would have figured it out, I'm sure of it. We always have!"

"I'm sure we would have, but I kinda like the way things turned out, you know? Everyone is alive. We're still here. Mom's still here. Despite what we had to do to get here, I think it was all worth it in the end."

"Speaking of your mom, how is she?" Judy asked.

"Freaked out, but I think she'll be fine with time. She's strong. She's like you."

"What, don't tell me she has a concussion and two bruised ribs, too!" Judy joked. Nick playfully swatted at her, which caused the rabbit to lean back and flex her abdominal muscles, instantly bringing about sharp pains to her bruised ribs.

"Ahhh, ouch! Gotta learn to be a little more careful…" she said as her paws gently rubbed the area around her ribs.

"I probably shouldn't do any rough-housing with you for a while, huh?" Nick asked with a smile. Judy laughed delicately, even finding that to cause her a bit of pain. The two of them sat silently for a couple of minutes, simply taking in the feeling of being alive. Nick was particularly glad that he hadn't succumbed to Marvin's vengeful desires. He actually enjoyed life more knowing that it could have been so easily taken away.

"Judy, I think... No, I _know_ I've made up my mind… about us." Judy looked up at Nick, her nose twitching with anticipation. He thought he could already see tears beginning to form in her eyes. Maybe she was still dreading his decision, or perhaps she knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Nick, just know that whatever you decide, I will respect your decision. If we break up, it's going to be no hard—" A finger was placed over her mouth as Nick silenced her.

"That much won't be necessary. I love you, Judy. I said that when you woke up with me those few months ago, and it's still as true as it was back then. We had differences, but so what? We'll make things work."

Judy looked as though she wanted to try and dissuade him from that decision. "B-But, what about wanting to have kits?"

"As long as I get to love you for the rest of my life, then that is all I need to be happy. I didn't think it would take me so long to figure that out, but I know it's right. I know you're the only one for me." Nick smiled as he watched the first tears roll down her cheeks. The happiest smile grew larger and larger on her face until she jumped up from her position and wrapped her arms around Nick.

"Ouch…" she said, mouth covered by Nick's shoulder.

"Ribs?"

Judy nodded up and down while still crying tears of outright joy. She released him from the hug and stared him directly in the eyes.

"Nick, are you sure you can do that to yourself? I feel like I'm missing something, here. Did I hear you correctly?"

"Of course. There is no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with, otherwise we'd just be broken, leaving our pieces on the ground. I don't want you to forget this, I believe in us. I know that things will be hard, and this is definitely one of those times. I can assure you that there will be more hard times, that's just a fact of life. We aren't immune to hate due to who we are, but I can't live another moment without you by my side. You're all I have, Judy." Nick wrapped her in another mindful hug as he started to feel tears come to his eyes again. "You're all I have."

Judy sniffed back tears as she reciprocated the hug, one filled with so much emotion that she actually started shaking. "I am so hopelessly in love with you, Nick Wilde. What did a bunny like me do to deserve a fox like you?"

Nick put his paws on her shoulders and stared into her eyes as he smiled slyly. "You and I got really drunk and we hooked up," Nick said nonchalantly. Judy snorted as she tried to stop herself from laughing too hard.

"Way to ruin the moment!" she laughed. Nick pulled her closer to him and cherished her touch.

"You should have expected that," he replied with a smile.

"I really should have…. But now that I think about it, that is what started this whole thing, isn't it? Kinda funny how things worked out."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, Nick."

"What's up?"

"There's one thing that I want to know about us. It's something that has been bothering me almost since we started dating."

"What's that?" he asked.

Judy hesitated. This was not going to be easy to bring up to him. "Can… can we please stop hiding it from everyone? I get that we don't want Chief to know about it, but... let's just tell the others, alright?" Judy felt her nerves work against her as the air was filled with silence from Nick for much longer than she was hoping. Perhaps she jumped the gun on that—

"Thank God!" Nick yelled as he pulled Judy in for one more hug, being extra careful of her ribs. "I was hoping you'd bring that up! I _hated_ keeping it all a secret from everyone!"

Though completely baffled by Nick's reaction, she managed to get her excitement out of her system as well. "So did I! Whose idea was that anyway?"

"I'm pretty sure it was you that brought it up," Nick said with a cheeky smile and gently poking her in the shoulder.

"Was not! You said that! You were so worried about me getting my feelings hurt by someone who didn't approve of us that you wanted to keep it a secret!"

"I don't think it matters right now," Nick said with a seductive tone.

"And why not?" Judy asked, knowing what was going to come next.

"Because I'm still going to kiss you."

Judy giggled as Nick pulled her close, but stopped right before their lips touched.

"I love you so much," Nick whispered as he pressed his lips into her's. It had actually been a while since he'd kissed her, and the feeling of finally getting to do it again was well worth the wait. Nick's paws explored her back while her's playfully squeezed at the fur behind his neck. He didn't want the feeling to end, but eventually he _did_ have to pull away to breathe. It was as they were about to go back in for another kiss that they heard the sound of a clipboard hitting gravel. The two of them looked simultaneously over to where Chief Bogo stood, mouth agape and slowly turning into a furious look of displeasure. They still had their arms around each other as they gave him nervous and guilty smiles.

"Hopps… Wilde…" he said while trying, and failing, to not grind his teeth. "Get your furry behinds to my cruizer immediately…"

Nick and Judy gulped.

* * *

 **A/N: Uh oh… can those two ever catch a break? Of course, I have the power to control that much, but where's the fun in having everything go right all of the time XD? As I said before, I have been itching to write this chapter pretty much since I started this story. It was a blast to write, and I have to extend a huge thanks to** **Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps** **for helping me with the fight scene. I can't thank him enough for that!**

 **I know I said this was part one of the climax, but it really isn't. There is obviously still some suspense from this chapter to the next, but the actual story will end next chapter with the epilogue chapters coming soon after. And for those of you itching for more WildeHopps goodness... it's coming, mi amigos!**

 **As always, don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Thanks so much for reading. Take care! Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	14. Closure

**A/N: Full A/N down below. Important stuff there!**

* * *

Walking had never been something Nick thought would be very hard. Combining his lack of sleep and beaten body, Nick found every step to send pain throughout his form, nerves rebelling against him as if his skin was trying to jump off of his body. His head was pounding, though quite certainly not as bad as Judy's. Even still, he didn't think anything could get worse.

 _Oh, wait… I was just seen making out with my partner…_ Nick thought. He walked like he had a wooden board nailed to his back, and at times it felt like it, too. Fear usually didn't get to him, and tonight was a pretty good example of that, but right now, Nick could confidently say that he was absolutely petrified.

A million things played out in his head. This was no doubt going to be a discussion about what Bogo had just seen, but now that punishment was on his mind, he worried that other things would get their own special mention, specifically regarding Nick's actions tonight. Nick was off duty, broke into the Precinct, stole gear and a police cruiser, and finally add fraternization onto the punishment cake and Nick was about to be submerged in regret for what he'd done. Throw in a side of police brutality and there was one thing Nick was certain of.

He was going to lose his job tonight.

He could blame no one but himself. The entire week had been utter mental torture, and with Nick finally getting to realize that there was no one on the planet he'd rather spend his life with, he wasn't exactly thinking too clearly. It was that simple mistake that brought him to this point, his mind only wanted to focus on one thing. As the sun began to shed light on the world, so it did with Nick and Judy's newly mended relationship. Perhaps this would have been a better conversation had it been made private, but he simply couldn't control himself.

Nick glanced down at Judy. He hated seeing her like this, appearing to be on the verge of tears and rightfully so. Nick was certain that she was fearing for her job as well. Nick recalled during the investigation of the Nighthowler case when she almost lost her job before. Nick barely was able to save the day and prevent Bogo from taking her badge then, but he feared that might not be an option this time. He would still do anything to spare her position even at the expense of his.

Judy was walking just as stiff as Nick. Her ears lay behind her head, no intention of perking up anytime soon. Her usual fluid movements were unseen, replaced by motions that looked like… not Judy. It broke his heart to see her like this, and he knew exactly who was to blame for it.

As much as he loved his job, it wasn't nearly as important to him as it was to Judy. She worked her fluffy tail off for years to get into the academy, and now there was the chance that it could all be taken away from her.

All because of him.

There were lots of words that he could think of to describe himself right now. Jerk was just the beginning. More explicit terms felt more appropriate, but it all came back to two simple words that could be uttered by a five-year-old, and no one would bat an eye.

Dumb fox.

He'd heard Judy call him that several times, countless times, really. It was always in good fun, and he usually shot back the "sly bunny" remark in equally good fun. Right now he felt exactly like a dumb fox in every sense of the words. He was speechless, and most of all, he'd been stupid enough to go and confess his love for Judy in public. The tension in the air was palpable, and it hurt. But it probably didn't hurt as bad as what Judy was feeling. Nick promised not to hurt her, and now he'd broken that promise not once, but twice in the space of a couple hours. She'd been an angel to forgive him the first time. This was probably not going to be the same reaction; his doom was sealed.

As Bogo's cruizer came into view, Nick's eyes flicked up to the buffalo. He couldn't see his face but based on his quick pace and angular motions, it was obvious that Bogo was furious beyond belief. Nick didn't need to check if he looked the part. If anything, Nick was glad that he couldn't see Bogo's face.

When they were within short proximity of the vehicle, Nick noticed that no one was inside. He saw earlier that this mother was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, but she must have been moved to a new spot or had left the scene altogether.

Thinking about his mother, Nick had to wonder what Marvin was thinking by kidnapping her. The old tod likely could have escaped the city for a little while before they were tracked and followed by the ZPD. Doing what he did meant that him, as well as most of The Reds, were now in custody. Marvin held grudges like no other, and it was likely this that caused him to act so irrationally. Nick didn't mind too much, as it led to the gang's downfall, but the pain that was caused by it all would last for a long time.

Bogo led them to the passenger side door where he opened it and stared at them silently as the two of them climbed into the seat. Seconds later, Bogo joined them in the car. Upon shutting the door, an eerie, bloodcurdling silence filled the cabin. Nick had to wonder if Bogo had forgotten about what he brought them here to say. Soon enough, that silence was finally broken, but not how Nick expected it to be. His ears weren't bleeding, in fact, he almost couldn't hear the buffalo speak. His voice was calm and almost consoling.

"I am appalled. I don't know if this is because of the tension from tonight or what, but a simple explanation is all I need."

Nick gulped as his gaze met Judy's. She looked at him with such a sense of panic in her eyes that Nick felt his stomach turn as he felt the urge to throw up. She had no idea what to say to make Bogo understand, but Nick had an idea. There was only one thing to do now that they were caught. Honesty is the best policy.

"Sir, I'll tell you what happened," Nick began. He couldn't believe he was about to say this to his boss of all mammals, but if it would maybe give them a second chance, it was the best shot they had. "I fell in love. I tried so hard… I nearly ruined the one thing I had going for me. It would have been so easy to give up, but… I can't do that to anyone anymore. I spent too long giving up on everyone that I came in contact with." Nick paused and took in a deep breath before continuing his speech.

"The truth is, Hopps and I have been together for a few months, now. In that time I realized something. You don't choose who you fall in love with. Sometimes you don't even realize it until you wake up with them right next to you. It's just how it is. If this could all be different… easier for everyone, I would take that in a heartbeat, but the fact of that matter is that we are who we are, and we just have to deal with that. The last thing I wanted to do was jeopardize Hopps's job as well as my own because of how we felt about each other. I—"

Bogo held up a hoof which stopped Nick in his tracks. "I said a simple explanation, Wilde. Not a full-blown speech about love. I despise that kind of sappy stuff. All I needed to know what whether this was real or just some sort of office romance. If it's really like you say it is, then what good am I doing by firing either of you?"

Nick cocked his head to the side before bringing his gaze down to Judy who appeared to be just as confused as he was. If Nick was hearing things correctly, then that would mean…

"You're not going to fire us?" Judy asked. Bogo smiled down at the rabbit.

"It may not be the smartest decision I've ever made, the Commissioner might not see things my way," Bogo said a little bit dreadfully. "But look at what you two accomplished this week. You brought about the downfall of a gang that generations of police officers have tried and failed to get rid of. It would be a disservice to the city if I were to split you two apart. But!" Bogo added, causing both of the mammals to flinch. "This is not to say I am going to let things go as they normally do. Some new rules are going to be in place specifically for you two. I will be seeing absolutely no affection while you are on duty. Save it for the bedroom, Hopps."

"Umm, why specifically me, sir?" Judy asked quizzically.

"Because out of you two, I'd expect you to be the romantic. I personally can't see Wilde having a romantic bone in his body."

Nick scoffed, "Then you obviously weren't listening just a few seconds ago—"

"Shut your mouth, Wilde!" Bogo shouted, causing both of the smaller animals to cover their ears. "And next, whenever the wedding is, make sure you invite everyone."

Nick and Judy both let out a little chuckle, but Bogo seemed to not think it was much of a joke.

"I'm serious, you two. I want to be there when you tie the knot."

"Pffffffff!" Nick nearly keeled over in unrelenting laughter while Bogo and Judy were very confused as to why Nick was laughing so hard. Nick eventually calmed down, wiping away a tear from his eye as he looked at them both and realized that he'd been the only one laughing.

"Wait, you guys don't get it?" he asked, moving his gaze between them.

"No," Bogo and Judy said in unison. Nick waved his paw in the air.

"Whatever, it's a canine thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Now I'm wondering if I even want to know," Bogo said broodingly. "Now, there is one more thing I need to discuss with you two. Tonight wasn't just a great victory for the ZPD, but you also used some questionable methods in making this happen. Wilde, you realize that you stole a cruizer and also got rather physical with Mr. Rathmore. And Hopps, you deliberately disobeyed my orders to stay in the cruizer and look at what happened. Both of you could have easily been killed, and yet what did you do? You did about the stupidest things imaginable, and it is for this reason that I am forced to punish you in some way."

This was what Nick was missing. Bogo may have cared less about their relationship, but he figured his actions were not going to go unnoticed. He was waiting for the worst possible punishment imaginable, perhaps even worse than being fired or sent to another precinct.

"Parking duty for three months as soon as you return to work, and I want to see at least 400 tickets per day between the two of you. Now get out of my sight. I don't want to see you for the next five days."

"Yes, sir," they said as energized as possible, which wasn't much considering the amount of time they'd been awake. As the two of them began to get out of the car, Nick thought that the punishment could be a lot worse than it was. He still wasn't exactly happy to be forced into parking duty for so long, but it just didn't feel like it would be so terrible.

The fox and bunny gave out a unison grumble as they shut the door to Bogo's cruizer. The pair of officers began walking away from Bogo's cruizer, both of them ready to get home and rest. Judy was feeling particularly out of it. The rabbit had been going for over twenty-four hours at this point, and she didn't do much sitting in that time. Her body was at its limits, her legs weak and eyelids threatening to close.

But she kept them open. She kept walking because she felt lucky to be alive. She wanted to cherish the world for what it was. She wanted to cherish the one next to her. Judy slowly drifted closer to Nick until she lightly brushed up against him, just enough to get his attention. Nick looked down at her, not even thinking about it when his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Judy looked up at him for a second, reveling in how lucky she was to have him there with her.

"We won't get that lucky next time, you know that right?" she asked. Nick chuckled hysterically.

"I doubt we'll have the 'just took down a prominent gang' tag attached next time we do something stupid."

"Exactly. I want to keep what we have, Nick. Let's maybe try and be more careful?"

"No. No more maybe's. We _need_ to be more careful, Carrots. I need you as much as you need me. I can't lose you as a partner. I can't lose this job. Going in there, I was thinking maybe I could save yours at the expense of mine, but as soon as I started talking, I realized just how much this all means to me. I love you and this job too much to put it in jeopardy again." As they continued walking Judy wrapped her arms around Nick, squeezing as tightly as she could without hurting her ribs or her head.

"I love you, too, Nick. Now let's get back to your apartment. I'm ready for a really, really long nap!" she said as she let go of the fox who admired her energy even when she had none. From behind them, Nick heard a terrifying shout from Bogo's cruizer that made him shudder but also giggle at the same time.

"Wilde! Don't you ever make a joke like that to me again! You've bumped up your quota to 600 per day!"

Nick laughed as he quickened his pace, grabbing Judy by the paw and dragging her with.

"Nick! What was that joke really about?" she shouted among giggles.

"I would have expected you to know, but I'll explain later! For now, let's get out of here!"

* * *

 _A Couple of Days Later_

Nick always hated the smell of hospitals.

Nothing was wrong with it smelling clean, but there was a certain stigma with something being _overly_ clean. It carried an overtone of death with it, and as it was, hospitals were often where mammals came to die. The smell of bleach and rubbing alcohol stung as he walked through the wide halls of the massive and complex building. He cringed as he turned the corner to have the scent become a little stronger.

The wings of the hospital were confusing, but thankfully the secretary at the front desk was very helpful in leading him in the right direction. Currently, on the fourth floor of the "Trauma" wing, Nick looked on the walls for the room number he was looking for. They increased as he walked, and Nick soon realized that he was going the wrong way. Laughing to himself for a second, Nick turned around at a quickened pace.

Judy didn't accompany him on this visit. She had expressed no interest when he first mentioned it, and as it turned out, today was not a good day for the concussed rabbit. Feeling extra terrible, she just wanted to stay at her apartment with the one blind closed and take a good nap. It had been that way since the incident, which apparently was now being called "The Red Dawn" by some of the more dramatic officers. Nick liked to call it closure. He finally felt like nothing was holding him back.

As he thought about it, an itch formed on Nick's left calf. He stopped by the wall and leaned against it as he itched the spot he knew would be there forever. It was currently bald, though Nick feared that the fur would grow back white as it was before. It was there in the first place not because of fur dye, but because the original fur was burned off by an iron dipped in liquid nitrogen. Freeze branding, it was called. He wasn't much into the science that explained it, but all he knew was that the fur would keep growing back white. He'd never really tried to remove it until now, but he figured it was worth a shot.

Nick continued down the hallway, soon finding the room that he had been looking for the whole time. A hint of nervousness fell upon him, but it was gone in seconds after he remembered his reason for being here in the first place. Nick stopped at the entrance and knocked on the door sill loud enough for the mammal inside to hear. Silence followed, but Nick knew the reason.

He peeked his head inside, finding the room's tenant to be waking up from a nap. His head looked around the room, soon finding Nick's face, little emotion changing from just moments before, though he didn't look particularly happy to see Nick if anything.

But then again, the one that broke your jaw probably isn't someone you want to see at all.

Nick popped into the room slowly, doing his best not to smile at seeing Marvin where he was. "Hey there, bud. Just wanted to check on you. See how that jaw was feeling," Nick said, though kept it all respectful towards the old fox. Nick was genuinely concerned for Marvin after the hit he took and wanted to make sure that he didn't do _too_ much damage. The old fox reached over onto the small table next to his hospital bed and grabbed a little whiteboard and erasable marker. He scribbled on it quickly and presented it to Nick.

" **What do you want, Nicholas?"** the words said. Nick finally understood why he was completely silent. Upon further inspection, Nick could see stitches around his muzzle. He'd undergone reconstructive surgery and now his jaw was wired shut.

"I wanted to see how you were doing, Marvin. I was concerned I went a little too far with that last hit, but I heard you were awake and apparently feeling alright. Much pain?"

Marvin erased his previous message and wrote some more. " **It hurts, thanks to you. Not too bad, though."**

"That's good," Nick said. Marvin wrote some more.

" **How is the rabbit? How are you?"**

"Judy is still recovering. She has a concussion and some bruised ribs. I am doing alright. Well enough to pay you a visit."

" **You feel better than her?"**

Nick saw the tiniest inkling of a smile on Marvin's face. He figured it would be more if he weren't in so much pain and if his jaw wasn't wired shut.

"Yeah. I'm not back to normal yet, still have the stitches in. The pain is better, though. I'm a tough fox," Nick finished with a friendly smile. There was a long silence between the two before Marvin wrote something else.

" **Why are you here? Are you mocking me?"**

Nick had to chuckle. "No, I'm not mocking you. I understand why you might think that. As I said before, I was just checking on you."

" **Tell me… do you hate me? Is that why you're here?"**

Nick pulled up a chair next to Marvin's bed and sat down. "Had you asked me that a couple of days ago, I would have given you a resounding yes. But today? I can confidently say that I don't hate you. Do you still want to kill me?"

There was no hesitation in Marvin's next response.

" **No."**

"I'm glad. I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us."

" **I killed your father. I could have easily killed your mother…"** Nick waited for a second as he erased everything so he could continue his statement. " **I could have killed you and Judy. Why don't you hate me?"**

Nick smiled at Marvin. "I could see the good inside of you just like someone saw the good in me about a year ago. You don't have to be bad just because you're a fox. Now, there is no possible way that I can get your prison sentence down from life without parole, but I feel that it gives you a chance to live the rest of your life for something better than a stereotype. You've made mistakes, now own up to them and do whatever you can to make amends. It's what I'm here to do."

" **What amends do you have to make to me?"**

Nick leaned in towards Marvin a little bit. "I'm sorry about your brother. If it makes you feel any better, I've felt terrible about that night ever since it happened. I never wanted anyone to get hurt."

" **I still don't get it. I've hurt you more than you've hurt me. What did I do to deserve this?"**

"You didn't do anything. I just think that everyone deserves forgiveness sometimes." Nick watched as tears began to form in Marvin's bloodshot eyes. Nick figured that the old tod would have hugged him if it weren't for Nick standing up and preparing to leave. Before Nick turned around to walk away, Marvin showed him one last message amidst heartfelt sobs.

" **I'm so sorry."** The word "so" was underlined three times.

"You're forgiven, my friend. Take care and get well soon," Nick finished with a friendly wave as he backed out of the hospital room, leaving his past behind forever. This might be the last time Nick would ever see Marvin, and while it should have felt liberating, there was something else that he felt. Nick was glad that he had the chance to grant forgiveness even though it wasn't deserved, but he actually felt a little sad to be leaving him. Marvin was different, now. He seemed more like himself from more than thirteen years ago, more like someone he could sit down and have a beer with. Maybe that hit knocked some sense into him.

Nick walked out of the hospital. He pulled out his phone as he came out into the overcast world. There was a text from Judy. He'd received it while he was talking with Marvin. Nick read it and smiled.

"Can't sleep and I'm bored. Wanna come over?" it read. Nick tapped in his response quickly.

"On my way, sweetheart," it said with a little wink face at the end. Nick sent the message and began walking towards the subway. The whole way there was unlike any subway ride he'd had for years. It was silent, nothing went wrong, there were no awkward moments. Nick usually hated the subway, but right now everything seemed better than usual. It was good. For the first time in a long time, Nick felt truly happy.

As the subway came to his stop, Nick stood up and walked out quickly. He hadn't seen Judy since they had their much needed seventeen-hour nap right after The Reds Incident. He was eager to see if she'd recovered any, though he figured it was unlikely. Nick had a concussion long ago and knew that they were not the most fun to have. Nick even wondered if the five days would be long enough for her to properly recover from it enough to get back to work, even if it would just be parking duty.

Nick arrived at her apartment building and walked inside. The air was cool and damp, which would have felt nice if it weren't so humid inside. Nick could practically feel his tail bushing out like crazy, but at least it wasn't hot. Climbing the many stairs was a lot more of a struggle than it should have been. His legs weren't particularly weak from anything, but his entire body was still doing its best to recover. Progress had been slow, but he was at least feeling better than a couple of days ago. His stitches were just about completely healed, some of them felt ready to come out now, but he left them in just in case.

Seeing Judy's door coming up, Nick walked up to it and knocked on the door gently. From behind it, a muffled and pained voice greeted him.

"Just a second…" she barely managed to say. Tiny footsteps slowly grew closer and closer until the sound of the lock clicked and the door barely swung inward. Squinted purple eyes looked up at Nick, and though he could tell she had a terrible headache, she still managed a little smile. "What's up, Slick?" she whispered, opening the door completely and allowing Nick in. He entered her tiny little apartment.

"I figured you'd be lonely today," he said quietly. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you begged me to come over. How's the head and ribs?" Nick walked over to her bed and took a seat. Nick watched as she lazily came over to him, climbing onto his lap and hugging him tightly.

"They hurt really bad. I honestly don't think the painkillers are doing much." As she held him close, Nick gently massaged her neck right at the base of her head. At first, she tensed up, but pretty soon Nick's fingers started working some magic as her headache seemed to melt away. "Oh, Nick… that feels good, keep going. Were you ever a masseuse in your hustling days?"

Nick smiled. "No. That would have been borderline sexual assault. I'm just trying to make my sly bunny feel better. Is it working?"

As Nick continued to gently squeeze and rub the muscles on her neck, Judy purred in satisfaction. "Up a little bit… aaaaaaaaand… right there! Awww, yeah! That's the spot. You're so good to me, Nick."

As he continued his massage, Nick heard Judy yawn once, and then again, and again until pretty soon he saw her head start to lean forward. Nick slowly stopped rubbing her neck and when he fully removed his paw, her head shot up with a start.

"I'm awake!" she said as she turned around and glared at Nick. "You stopped. Why?"

"You were falling asleep. I just guessed that your headache was gone. Do you want me to keep going?"

"No," Judy said as she leaned against him. Nick brought both of his paws around her, folding them together and pulling her tight against his body. "But my headache is pretty much gone, now. Thank you, Nick. N… not just for that… for everything. For being there for me. For believing in us." Nick hmm'd as he closed his eyes and felt her heartbeat thump with his. The warmth of her body tickled his fur, and the softness of her touch made it hard to keep his own eyes open.

"I love you. If I say that, does it mean I'm crazy? Probably. But if loving you makes me crazy, then why would I want to be normal?" Nick whispered in her ears. The bunny shivered as he did so, causing her to let out a little giggle as she stared upward, nose so close to Nick's that they looked to be touching. Nick moved a little closer, and she did the same which brought their lips together for a short, but completely loving kiss. When it was over, Judy turned herself around on Nick's lap and straddled her legs around his hips.

"I think you mean to say that _we're_ crazy. But as you said, why would we want to be normal? I've _never_ been normal! Why would I start now?"

"We can be crazy together," Nick said with a cheesy smile as Judy suddenly sprang forward, causing the fox to fall backward onto the bed. "That didn't hurt?" he asked. Judy smiled and shook her head.

"Nope, you're like a soft, foxy pillow that cushions my fall."

"Wow, you have now both fallen _on_ me and fallen _for_ me!"

Judy giggled as she scootched further onto Nick's chest. She stared mischievously into his eyes, and as he stared back he rapidly flicked his tongue out, getting a very quick lick right on Judy's nose. Her eyes widened in surprise, though she proceeded to unbutton the first two buttons of Nick's shirt and pulled them apart a little bit. Nick smiled back at her as she proceeded to lay down completely, burying her face into the exposed fur on Nick's chest. Judy let a satisfied smile creep onto her face as she enjoyed the warmth and comfort of his fuzzy chest fur.

"I went and saw Marvin today," he said. Judy's face shot up from his chest.

"You actually did? Why?"

"He needed to know that there were no hard feelings. I had to forgive him, otherwise, I feel like I'd be no better than him," Nick said.

"But, Nick… he _killed_ your dad. He's done nothing to deserve your forgiveness. Why?"

"Sometimes there doesn't need to be a reason, and when there isn't one, sometimes you just have to make one. I know what holding in the hate does to you… and I didn't want to let some pointless grudge turn me into something I'm not. Marvin is a good animal, I can tell. He just let himself go, and after that whole incident with me and him… it made it impossible for him to get back on track without me doing what I did. I still feel a little bad about it, even though I know he was going to do everything in his power to kill me, and maybe even you."

"What did he say when you were there?" Judy asked. She was now holding her head up, listening to every word that Nick said.

"He didn't say much. His jaw is wired shut," Nick said. "But he had a little whiteboard to write on. I asked him if he wanted to kill me, and he said no. When I was about to leave, he said he was sorry for everything. I even saw him cry. I think I may have knocked some sense into him… literally."

Judy was in awe. She would never have expected Marvin to break down like that. "That's amazing, Nick. I'm happy for you. Do you feel better about your dad and...?" Judy looked at Nick in anticipation of what he was going to say.

Nick sighed. "I think there will always be pain when I think of that, but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did before. I never let the pain surface until now…. But forgiveness feels good, Carrots." Nick looked up at the ceiling. "It feels really good."

"It's how it should be." Judy kept her eyes trained on Nick, who still had his muzzle pointed to the ceiling. "Hey, I wanted to get your opinion on something," Nick lowered his head and opened his eyes to meet hers. "My parents… well, they kinda know what happened. They also know about us… they want to meet you. I told them it would be a while before we'd be able to get enough time off, but for now, they just want to hear your voice and see your face. Did you want to have a little video chat with them sometime? I'd be with you the whole time."

Judy got off of Nick's chest as he sat up and rested against the wall. "I don't see why not. Can we do it now?"

"Really? You want to do it right now?" she asked.

"Of course. We're both here. I don't see any issue." Nick was more than happy to be doing this, and it made her happy, too. She pulled out her phone and instantly began calling her parents. As she dialed their number, Nick moved to the spot right next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. Seconds later their faces appeared on her screen and shouts of joy came from them as they saw their daughter's face. Judy looked back at Nick and smiled with a hint of nervousness.

"Mom, Dad… I have someone here who really wants to meet you. I know you do, too." Judy turned the phone Nick's direction. When he became visible on screen, Nick smiled and waved politely.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps! How goes it in Bunnyburrow?"

" _Wonderful, Nick! It's so great to finally put a face on you!"_ Bonnie exclaimed.

" _How ya feeling, Nick? Heard you took quite a beating the other day,"_ Stu said.

Nick laughed a little. "I'm feeling great. Still pretty sore, but I'll manage. Could be a lot worse."

" _I'll bet,"_ Stu said. " _I heard you saved our Judy's life. We can't thank you enough for that. We're happy to know that she's in safe paws with you around."_

"Well, Mr. Hopps—"

" _Please, call me Stu."_

"Well, Stu… about a year ago she saved my life. I'm just returning the favor." Nick looked lovingly at Judy who did the same back to Nick. He smiled as he hugged her closer.

"I'd do anything for her. She's all I have."

* * *

 _The First Day Back_

Parking duty sucked.

 _Only 89 more days to go…_ Nick thought as he and Judy walked through the halls of the ZPD. Nick watched her as they walked. He had to admit, she made an orange vest and little blue hat look pretty good. Him… not so much, though the vest did go pretty well with his fur. As they continued on, Nick noticed a door that led to the basement where Records was. He had an idea.

"Hey, Carrots… I'm gonna take care of something really quick. I should only be about five minutes."

"Go ahead. I'll wait up for you," she responded

Nick walked away from Judy and towards the basement. Going down the stairs, Nick found an old computer that was already up and running, ready for him to do something he'd wanted to for a long time.

Nick typed on the keyboard to gain access to all that it contained. When he was in, Nick searched for something that should have been finished many years ago. He was glad that they had digitized most of the records from long ago. This would be much harder to find had it not been.

There were perhaps thousands of case files, closed, open, and cold in the ZPD's database. The majority of them had been put into the computer system when it was updated several years ago, though old paper copies still existed in the hundreds of filing cabinets that were still lined up elsewhere in the basement. Nick was able to hear stories about the old computer system and how terrible it was, slow and often times not running as it should. He was glad that this one was much faster and even more important, it contained the exact case he wanted to close for a long time.

Finally finding what he was looking for, Nick smiled as he was able to enter the name of his father's murderer into the case file. It didn't really change anything. His father was still dead, and that pain would still be there, but Nick felt like this was needed to truly feel content with the past.

Despite all he had been through, Nick still felt that Marvin was deserving of some forgiveness. No matter how many times Judy told him that it wasn't his fault, Nick still felt some amount of responsibility for the events that nearly got both of them killed. And like Judy said, forgiveness was supposed to feel good. It was perhaps the second best feeling in the world, second only to love. At the end of it all, he had both in spades.

The question of whether Marvin was truly sorry was still up for debate, but Nick felt confident in the old tod. Only time would tell whether he was right in saying that Marvin wanted to be good. Goodness didn't show itself randomly, but those with a truly hard heart didn't break down and cry in front of those they had wronged. They didn't apologize for things that happened twenty-six years ago. No, Marvin was not like other criminals, that much Nick knew for sure. Goodness was inside everyone, they just need to have a desire to show it to others. Marvin may have found exactly that.

Nick looked at the computer screen for a few seconds before confirming his changes to the document. Navigating back to the massive collection of case files, Nick saw the highlighted one he'd just been in. A distinct difference was added onto the end of the title being displayed. Curling the edges of Nick's lips was a contented smile.

Case closed.

* * *

 **A/N: Is this the final chapter? No, no it is not. ;)**

 **Of the main story, yes, but there will still be a few more epilogue chapters to come, but I'm unsure as to how many there will be because I'd love to hear some suggestions from you guys! The theme of the epilogue is going to be "Fluff" and that is all you need. Any idea for fluff so sweet it gives you cavities will be welcome! I already have a few, though my mind is limited. I'm sure you all have some ideas!**

 **I obviously don't want to give away the ideas I already have formulated as they are still in the works, but don't be afraid to throw some ideas my way, so shoot me a PM!**

 **Also, happy 2-year anniversary Zootopia! I know I'm a day late on that, but wow! It's already been that long since the movie came out! I never got the chance to see it in theaters (one of my biggest regrets in life), but I remember the first time I saw it, I watched it at least once a night for like two weeks, so I was a bit of a late-bloomer to the fandom! I never imagined I'd see a movie that changed my life so much, but I am** _ **so**_ **glad that I did!**

 **Also also, one last note before I leave: There is more to come from me. I've been planning a new story for a little while now, and hopefully, it will all be ready to go soon. Obviously, I want to completely finish** _ **Pieces**_ **before I begin anything new, but I'm hoping that it won't be more than a couple months before this next one is out. It should be a lot of fun WildeHopps fluff and stuff. Nothing better than that, right? ;)**

 **Thanks so much for reading, and thanks to everyone who stayed with me on this wonderful journey! Please take care, and have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	15. Epilogue - Part 1: Moving On?

**A/N: Ready for part one of the WildeHopps fluffy goodness? I sure hope so! Loads of it in this one, so I hope you saved room for dessert!**

* * *

 _Six Months After The Reds Incident_

A gentle tap on her shoulders brought Judy out of her wonderful dreams. She began to feel the weight of the covers over her mostly naked body, and pretty soon the softness of Nick's mattress. She loved his mattress almost as much as she loved him. It was one of the really fancy kind that you could adjust with a remote to fit your sleeping habits. She'd never needed to adjust it at all, as it was already that comfortable.

Another tap forced her from falling back asleep. She tried to just ignore the first one, but apparently, the fox sitting next to her had other plans. "Carrots… you gonna get up or what? We're already late for work."

Judy's ears shot straight up, or rather to the side as she was still laying with her head pressed into the pillow.

 _Why am I still in bed?_ She thought frantically, shooting into a firm, upright position and breathing like she'd just ran ten miles as fast as she could. Quickly throwing the covers off of her, Judy raced over to Nick's closet, only to realize that her uniform was at her apartment.

She sharply turned to face her fox. "Nick! My uniform is at my place! We need to hurry up before Bogo—" Judy stopped and cocked her head to the side. Nick was snickering as he sat on his bed, only in his underwear.

"We're not late for work, are we?" Judy asked, though she already knew the answer. Nick nodded as he continued to laugh.

"It's Saturday, Carrots. Are you really that afraid of being late for work?" he asked. Judy crossed her arms as she walked back to the bed.

"I'm not afraid of being late, I just like to be on time. If it weren't for me, you'd probably get a chewing out from Bogo every day!"

"Hey!" Nick said defensively. "I get myself out of bed every morning. I'm usually the one waiting for you at the doors, and you live closer to work!"

"You've beaten me to work one time, Nick! One time!" She emphasized her point by sticking her finger in Nick's smug face. "And that was because I ran into Mrs. Parker. She talked my ears off forever and wouldn't let me get to work!"

Nick chuckled to himself. "Old ladies… they will never shut up…" he said quietly with the amused shake of his head. Judy climbed back into bed and threw the covers over herself again. Laying her head back down on the pillow, she actually felt like she'd be able to get back to sleep after Nick's rude awakening. That was until he pulled the covers off and crawled over her.

"Nick… let me sleep…" Judy grumbled with her eyes still closed. Nick stared down at his bunny and shook his head.

"I just can't let you do that. It's literally like 10:30, Carrots. We've already slept in enough." Judy's eyes flew open for the second time in the span of a couple of minutes. She turned her head to Nick's alarm clock which, sure enough, told her it was just a little past 10:30 in the morning. Judy rolled over so she lay on her back. Nick was still over her, grinning mysteriously, and at some part of her that she couldn't quite figure out.

"Nick… what are you doing?" Judy asked dreadfully as Nick's smirk widened.

And then he attacked.

Shouts and giggles erupted from the bunny as Nick began ruthlessly tickling her exposed bunny tummy. She squirmed and squirmed to try and free herself from the attack, but he still managed to keep her within his grasp.

"Nick! Ahhh, stop it! That tickles!" she shouted with joy. Nick, however, didn't listen to her pleas and continued with his tickling. Judy eventually managed to do the one thing that would put the poor fox out of commission and turn the tides of war against him. She took her finger and poked it directly into his side. Nick's abdominal muscles tensed up, causing the rest of his body to freeze altogether as he fell to the side. Judy took the opportunity to jump on top of him and launch her counterattack.

"Carrots… No! Please, I'll do anything! No, not the sides!" Nick giggled as she relentlessly sieged his weak spot. Nick's legs flailed in the air behind Judy, and eventually, they bumped into her, pushing the rabbit forward and only inches from Nick's smiling muzzle. Judy laughed and moved herself the rest of the way and into a tender, loving kiss which soon became several, and each with ever-increasing delight.

When Judy remembered that she had things to take care of at her own apartment, she moved away, Nick's lips trailing behind and still craving more. Sitting up and staring deeply into Nick's eyes, she smiled and booped Nick on the nose with her finger.

"I'm going to get my stuff together. I should probably take off," she said with a seductive smile. The bunny removed herself from Nick's chest and then hopped down from the bed. Finding her overnight bag, she pulled out a fresh set of clothes, and then gathered the small pile of clothes next to it and lazily stuffed it inside. She got dressed and zipped up her bag, but set it down and walked back to the bed where Nick was now sitting up and watching her every move.

He would never admit this to anyone, but he hated saying goodbye to her, even though he knew he would see her again within a couple of days. He wished she could stay over all the time, but Judy had her own apartment to take care of. They'd never really talked about moving in together, but Nick had thought about saying something for a little while now, but he could never seem to find the right time to mention it. Now seemed like the perfect moment.

And yet he hesitated. Judy climbed back onto his bed and swiftly gave him a tight hug and a little peck on the cheek.

"Love you," she said as she hopped down from the bed and headed towards her bag. She picked it up and walked out of Nick's room. The fox followed her out into the welcome area. He opened the door for her, and one more time gave him a kiss.

"Love you, too, Carrots." Judy walked out the door and into the hallway but stopped when she heard Nick speak up.

"Hey," he said. Judy looked back at him. He looked like he was about to say something, but she could see he was having a hard time figuring out what he would say. "I'll see you on Monday?" he resorted to. Judy nodded to him as she smiled and flicked her tail at him right before she turned back around.

"Of course, Slick. Bye!" She waved as she started down the hallway and out of Nick's view. Nick closed the door and walked back into his bedroom. He sat down on the bed and rubbed his face tenderly. The grogginess from sleep still burned at his eyes, and the nervousness from wanting to tell Judy that he thought they should move in was gnawing at his heart. He didn't know why he didn't say anything. It wasn't like she would say no. He even figured she'd be more than happy to do it.

"Oh well, there's always another time," Nick said to himself as he stood up and walked to the bathroom to begin his day.

* * *

 _Judy's Apartment_

When she arrived at her apartment, Judy was feeling ready to get some stuff done. The strange truth was that Judy hardly spent any time at her place anymore. She was either at work or at Nick's, which left only a little bit of time for her to be in her own apartment. It became the norm for her, though. She didn't mind it much and actually liked being able to stay with Nick so often.

Not only was it great to spend time with Nick, she also got away from her terrible place. When she first moved in, Judy was in love with absolutely everything about the city and where she lived, but that was only because of moving goggles which made everything seem wonderful. A quick shift in perspective made her realize just how crappy her place was.

 _All thanks to a certain fox…_ Judy thought with mixed emotions. It had been approximately two years since they first met, and the way things progressed for them was unlike anything she could have thought up. The first few days they knew each other was a battle of wits and toleration to see who could get the last laugh. Though it didn't matter to either of them after so long, Judy was confident that she was the one that won in the end. Nick would probably try to disagree, but to no avail as the bunny tended to get her way with things. Nick seemed alright with that, too. It was just another reason that she loved him.

Judy came to the foundation of her building and climbed the small set of stairs that brought her up to the door. Being presented with the flights of stairs leading up, Judy bounded with ease through the floors until she made it to the floor that her room was on. Walking down the hall a short distance, Judy felt a tinge of excitement for the day ahead as she unlocked her door. No matter how boring paying bills and cleaning up was, Judy never thought of the activities as pointless or painful. She was getting important stuff done, and that's what mattered. For all she knew, she could be wasting her day doing something truly pointless, like writing little stories and putting them online for random people to read. If she were to try her paw at writing, she would at least like to have the chance at making some money along the way rather than for fun and fun only.

 _It takes a special breed to do something like that for pure enjoyment…_ Judy thought. It took a special breed to do anything, really. She was the first rabbit officer, what was more special than that? Her eyes flicked to one of a couple of pictures that existed in her apartment. Nick's eyes seemed to follow her from the picture frame. She thought it was a bit of a goofy pose that he had, paw resting under his chin with a very handsome grin plastered on his muzzle. It was a good picture, she had to admit. The only issue was that it didn't have her in it.

But that was the point of another picture. It was taken only a few days after the two of them got back to work after the Reds Incident, the day that everyone found out about their favorite fox and bunny pair and the good news they had to share. It was a fun day for everyone, and after work became a celebration that was worthy of going until last call at Miranda's. It was about one thirty in the morning when Nick and Judy were some of the few still left, and they would be the last ones come four in the morning. In their only slightly inebriated stupor, they failed to notice Clawhauser snapping photos of the two, and he managed to get a brilliant one of them about to share a kiss, arms around each other and staring lovingly into their partner's eyes.

She cherished that photo. Knowing that everything could have been so different made her realize just how good she had it. One of the reasons that she originally wanted to keep her relationship with Nick a secret was because she didn't know how the others would react to it. That night was all it took to tell her that they made the right choice of letting it become public knowledge.

Judy turned her attention to her bed, which remained unmade for the last several days that she had been absent from her place. She set her bag down on the bed and pulled her dirty clothes out so that they could be put in the wash. As she was separating the lights from the darks, Judy felt a vibration come from her pocket. The rabbit pulled out her phone to find out that she didn't plug it in overnight and the device was now at a dangerously low fifteen percent.

Judy wasn't worried, however. She figured that her charger had come out with the wrinkled pile of clothes that she lazily tossed inside of her overnight bag. Judy looked through them for a few seconds, but couldn't find it. _Ok, it must still be in my bag…_ she thought, though found it strange that it hadn't come out with her clothes. Judy looked inside but found the bag to be completely empty. Panic started to overcome her as she frantically threw all of her clothes onto the floor, desperately shaking out each individual article and hoping to have the much-needed object fall onto the floor, though it never did.

"No, no, no, no… NO!" she screamed in frustration. Palming her face, she came to the realization of where her phone charger was.

Nick's apartment.

No matter, she still had some charge left, and could easily call Nick so that he could look for it, and perhaps meet her halfway so she didn't have to go all the way back. Judy whipped out the device again, which was now down to fourteen percent and called Nick immediately. After a few rings, Nick's smooth voice came through.

" _Miss me already, Carrots?"_ he said.

"Har har, Slick. But no, actually I was wondering if you could look in your room for my phone charger. I think I left it at your place."

" _No can do, bun bun. I'm currently en route to the grocery store with a list as long as your ears and as fat as Clawhauser. I probably won't be home for a couple hours. But you have a key. Just head back to my place. Your charger will still be there."_

Judy groaned for what seemed like an entire minute. Her paw holding her phone slowly dropped away, making it so Nick only heard a little bit of Judy's frustration. "Are you kidding me!? I just got home!" she shouted at no one in particular. As she lifted her phone back to her ear, the sound of Nick cringing, as well as laughing, on the other end did not make matters any better.

Nick knew that, while Judy's apartment was closer to work than he was, it was not close to his apartment. It was a good hour commute between the two places which was part of the reason that Judy stayed over so often and for so long.

" _I take it you don't want to go back to my place to get it?"_ Nick said amongst snickering. Judy glared at the wall, wishing that it was actually Nick she was giving the death stare.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. I really needed that previously unknown information," Judy spoke sarcastically into her phone.

" _Just trying to help, Carrots. Didn't think you'd freak out so much since you're out a phone charger. Ande besides, it must have plenty of life left if you're calling me."_

Judy took her phone away from her ear. It only had ten percent left. "Hardly any. It'll be dead in twenty minutes even if I'm careful with the battery usage. I'm just going to have to go back to your place. I'll talk to you later, Slick."

" _Yeah, have fun, Carrots."_

Judy slammed her phone down onto her bed as she fell backward and let out an annoyed sigh. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

 _A Couple of Days Later…_

"I don't know, Ben… I just couldn't get the words out of my mouth. It's not like she would object or anything, it's just… a big step for us. You know?"

Clawhauser was sitting across the table from Nick. The cheetah was focused completely on him, listening to every word of the situation from the other day as they sat around in the break room. Nick was waiting for Judy to finish up something, so he waited in the break room and ended up finding Clawhauser as well.

"I totally understand, Nick. But you just need to let her know that you're thinking about it. It won't happen overnight, though. Looking for the perfect place takes a long time. I think it was about six months before I found my current apartment. I imagine it would take a bit longer since there are two of you. All I can say is don't compromise on anything. It needs to be perfect, otherwise, you'll regret your decision and there will be nothing you can do about it."

"It's really going to be that difficult? I can't really see apartment hunting being so hard."

"It's only that way because you're a young couple. It took me so long because I was picky, but there are always so many mammals looking for new places. There are new apartments every day, but trust me when I say they will be gone before you know it. The key is acting fast, but that can be hard especially when you're looking for that special one. The first apartment you two will have together!" Ben stifled a squeal as he squeezed his massive cheeks together. "It's so exciting! I'm so happy for you two!"

"We haven't even started looking, nor have I told her that I want us to move in together. I think you're getting a little too excited," Nick said with a smile.

"Oh, you know how much I love you too! I just want to see you happy especially after that whole thing all those months ago. Speaking of which, how's your mother doing?" Clawhauser asked. Nick rubbed the back of his neck.

"She's not the same. She saw the whole fight between Marvin and myself and I think that might have pushed her over the edge. I'm worried about her, sometimes, but she does alright. I see her a lot, though. I think she needs to remember that her son is alive and well."

"She thought you were dead?"

"Well… sort of. Like I said, she saw everything, including the way I knocked out Marvin. She didn't know if I was even the same fox anymore." There was a short moment of silence in the room, meaning that there was nothing more to be said about that particular topic. Nick was happy about that, too. It broke his heart to see his mother the way she was now. He could understand why she'd become a bit distant, though. Seeing what she did would make any mother crumple in fear. She was just lucky that he came out on top in the end.

"You think I should just tell her? That easy?" Nick asked. Clawhauser smiled as he nodded once more.

"Of course. You two are about as in love as possible. I know she'd be happy to hear that you want to move in with her."

Nick leaned back in his seat and let out a yawn. Silence came over the two as Clawhauser enjoyed the last couple minutes of his break. Nick looked over the room and soon saw the door fly open and hear little footsteps grow closer to him. Nick smiled as he saw Judy's ears approach him until her entire form was visible to him.

"Ready to head out?" she asked happily as she stood before Nick. Clawhauser was just about on the floor excited at seeing the two together. Though it had been quite some time since they broke the news to everyone, he still loved every second he got to see them together. Nick took notice of Clawhauser's reaction and decided to give the cheetah a little treat.

"Absolutely, my little slice of carrot cake," Nick said in a sweet voice, bending over to give Judy a kiss on the forehead before taking her paw and walking out of the break room with her. By the time they were out, both Nick and Judy could hear a loud thud, one that both knew meant Clawhauser was out of commission for a few minutes. Judy giggled as they walked out of the ZPD and enjoying the nice evening.

"Did you have to do that? You know Bogo isn't going to appreciate you decommissioning his finest dispatch officer," she said, though the rabbit thought it was a little bit funny as well.

"I think he deserves a little bit every now and then. It's like a present that won't make him gain any more weight, yet will still probably give him cavities."

"How would it give him cavities?" Judy asked a bit skeptically.

"Because we're so sweet together, Carrots. That's how." The two walked mostly in silence for a while. It was after five o'clock and the majority of the mammals in the city were also off of work. The streets were busy, the roads were even more so, and the weather was beautiful. Nick couldn't really imagine a better day, especially since he had her right next to him.

"Hey, Judy."

"Yeah, Nick?"

The fox stopped dead in his tracks. This was it. The perfect moment had presented itself, and he was not going to let his nerves get the better of him this time.

 _Remember was Clawhauser said. She should be happy to do this._

"Listen, there's something that I wanted to talk to you about, especially after what happened on Saturday." Nick took a moment and sighed, letting all of his irrational fears out with his breath. Drawing in the fresh air, Nick felt a new chapter in his life at conception. The very beginning.

"Judy, I love you so much. I love spending every minute with you, and I hate ever having to say goodbye when you leave my place. Especially after what happened on Saturday, I think it's time we find a place together."

The rabbit stared at Nick for a couple of seconds. It felt like hours. The way her nose twitched, and eventually, how her eyes lit up with excitement as she jumped into his arms. The action caught him by surprise, but he was prepared to catch and hold her for dear life.

"Nick, you know I would have said yes!" she giggled. Nick rubbed her back gently as she squeezed his neck.

"I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure if you really wanted to, or not. I know how much you love your freedom and to do things yourself.

"Nick, we've been together for almost a year. I wouldn't dream of saying no to living in the same home as you. And besides, I'm really starting to get fed up with my apartment. It's a bit of a dump if you haven't figured that out, yet!" Nick felt her bury her face into his shoulder and grip his neck tighter. When her grip finally loosened, he bent over and set her back on the sidewalk.

"This is so exciting!" Judy exclaimed. "It's kind of convenient, too, you know?" The two of them continued walking while Nick raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" he asked.

"All we have to do is get what little things I have into your place and we're done! Nothing to it!"

Nick internally cringed. This was going to be a bit awkward.

"Yeah…. It's not quite that simple," he said rather quietly.

"Why not?"

"Well, the apartment… it isn't mine…"

There was silence between them. And then there was hysterical laughter from Judy, though Nick remained completely silent. She playfully punched him on the arm, much lighter than she normally would have, but it gained no reaction from Nick. He was still staring at her nervously.

"You almost had me there, Slick! I would have thought you'd be better at jokes than that!" When her ears picked up no laughter from Nick, she brought her gaze to his still nervous expression. "You were joking with me, right?" she said a bit dreadfully, though, by the way Nick reacted, she knew that he wasn't joking around.

"A buddy of mine owns it…. He's usually at his place in the Rainforest District, so he let me live there as long as I took care of rent every other month. And besides, wouldn't you rather have a place that's all our own?" Judy shrugged her shoulders understandably.

"I think that would be great, Nick. And besides, how hard can finding an apartment be?"

* * *

 _Seven Months Later…_

"I sure hope we never have to do that again…" Judy mumbled as they stood by the front door to their new apartment. Nick stared blankly at the door, nodding his head up and down in approval.

"Well, at least we finally found one… I sure hope we like it…" Nick said quietly. He lifted up the keys and jingled them in the air. Looking down at Judy, she reciprocated his gaze and they both smiled. The couple began laughing as Judy hopped into his arms.

"Let's get inside before somebody sees us!" she giggled. Nick kissed her on the forehead as he carried her bridal style to the front door. He unlocked it and pushed open, revealing their first glimpse of the entryway when it was officially theirs. There was a closet to the left and the kitchen was to the right, but Judy noticed something strange about the kitchen. Nick set her down and she walked inside, seeing a dining room table, and it was a very nice one. She walked up to it and felt it. The wood craftsmanship was exquisite, the wood itself felt sturdy and hard. She could even smell that lacquer that covered the surface to protect it. This was a very new table, and likely very expensive.

"Did the previous owners forget to take this?" she questioned. Judy stared at the table for a while, though Nick walked through to the living room for another unpleasant surprise.

"Carrots… I don't think they've moved out yet…" he said a bit dreadfully. Judy turned and saw him standing before a fully furnished living room. A beautiful brown suede couch sat against the wall, a very sleek and modern coffee table with a glass top was in front of it, and on the opposing wall was a gorgeous deep brown television stand with a massive flat screen TV on it.

Judy stared at the couch, feeling like they may have been given the wrong key to the wrong apartment. But it felt so much like home that she struggled to get out before the actual owners came back. Judy wiggled her toes in the lush carpet. There was a scent of brand new carpet in the air as if this had just been installed that day. Judy's eyes caught the sight of a small white piece of paper sticking out from in between the couch cushions. She walked over to it and pulled it out. It was a note addressed to her and Nick, which she read out loud.

"Enjoy your new furnishings. Clawhauser tried out the bed, so it's a little messed up. Bogo and the ZPD," she read. Her face looked up from the note slowly in disbelief. This was all theirs to keep. Judy's eyes found Nick's, and eventually, some tears of pure joy began to flow from them. She ran to his arms and gave him a massive hug, all the while trying to admire their new home.

"Do you like it?" Nick asked with an elated grin on his face. Judy nodded her head and looked up at him.

"Did you have something to do with this?" she smiled.

"Did everyone pitch in to buy us new furniture? Yes, yes they did. Did I tell them to? No, no I did not. But I did help them move it in this morning. It was a big surprise to me, too."

"This is absolutely incredible, Nick. I really don't know what to say."

"I do," Nick said. He pulled Judy in for another brief hug, stroking her ears as she continued to let the emotion flood out of her. "Welcome home, sweetheart. Welcome home."

Nick was glad that the hunt was finally over. He was so glad to see Judy so happy with where they were, and he knew that this was just the start of a lot of memories. This was their first place as a couple, and he actually hoped that they wouldn't have to go through such a crazy experience again. There were plenty of apartments in Zootopia, but those that fit them and their needs were a little bit harder to find. Over the several months of looking, they'd found quite a few, but someone else always got the jump on it and got it before they did. The first couple of times that happened they just brushed it off, but that number was soon to approach double digits had they not gotten this one.

"It feels right, Nick. This really feels like home," Judy said as she continued to admire their new home.

"Hey, we could be living on the streets and I would still feel at home." Judy grabbed ahold of his arm, stared into his eyes and smiled.

"That's because you already have!" she joked. Nick didn't laugh, though. To him, that part of his life was not a joke. It was a reminder of how much he'd changed, and all because of the rabbit that stood before him.

"No, back then I'd say I didn't have a home. But as long as I'm with you, then there's no place I'd rather be. Until I met you, I never thought I'd feel that way."

"And until I met you, I never would have known that one person could actually make me feel so loved. Nick, you are the only thing in my life that matters so much that I can't imagine life without."

"What about your job?" Nick asked with a smile. Judy shook her head.

"That's different. I _could_ get another job if for some reason this didn't work out. There is no way I could get another fox!"

"Oh, I'm sure you could find at least four of them. How could any foxy individual resist such a good looking carrot?" As Nick opened his arms, begging for another embrace from his bunny, Judy smiled and nuzzled into his chest.

"I don't want any other fox. This carrot is all for you."

Nick and Judy stood together in a passionate hug for what seemed like forever. Finding an apartment in the city of Zootopia would only take seconds as there are thousands of places that remain up for sale at any one time. Finding a place a young and wide-eyed couple can call home is a different story. Judy hadn't expected the market to be so competitive with every single place that caught their eye. If there was a place they liked, there were at least four others that wanted it, too. It was as if they didn't even stand a chance in the daring world of apartment hunting. With each other, home was not where they rested their heads, but rather wherever they were together.

But a nice and cozy bed was a very appealing thing to have.

Judy looked up at her fox, bringing her paws up to grab and gently squeeze his shoulders. "What do you say we go and fix the bed that Clawhauser messed up?" Nick met her eyes, and after kissing her softly, he let out a seductive groan and picked her up. Judy squealed with delight as she was hoisted into his arms.

"Or we could mess it up even more," Nick said as he brought his bunny into the room and closed the door.

* * *

 **A/N: *Eyebrow wiggle***

 **Hope y'all (You can tell I'm from rural America) enjoyed this chapter. I'm, of course, liking the fluff. How could anyone not! Let me know what you thought with a review!**

 **Now, I'm thinking there are only going to be two more epilogue chapters, and I'm confident that all of you will feel satisfied with them, especially once the final one comes around. Writing has slowed down a bit for me, probably because I'm itching to get into my new story, but I don't want to get too far into that just yet. It's coming, though. I promise!**

 **Also, I got a new computer! This means that I might actually be able to get back into drawing! Maybe! We'll see if I ever have the time, but from the little I've done, I find it really hard to get used to digital versus pencil and paper. Hopefully, it doesn't take too long!**

 **I really hope you all (Did I change countries in the middle of my author's note!?) enjoyed. As always, please don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. Take care. Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	16. Epilogue - Part 2: The End of The Aisle

_One and a Half Years After the Reds Incident_

The midnight air was cold in Bunnyburrow, perhaps only a little above freezing. The wind blew strong as it did so often in the dark of night, making it difficult for any mammal to be outside without some sort of jacket or coat. Though the chill was harsh, the sky was clear, and just as Judy told him, the stars were uncountable in number and brilliance. Nick had never been this far out of the city before. The fox was enjoying the night despite the wind and the cold. He would still rather be in bed with Judy, but the simple act of sleeping was not as simple as it seemed. Never in his life did he think sleep would be hard.

Nick leaned back on his paws, pointing his muzzle up to the sky and drawing out a heartfelt sigh. His breath puffed out in a plume of white amidst the starlit sky, soon disappearing and making room for some more. Judy had told him that she wanted to show him the constellations. Nick knew about them but had never before been able to spot them for himself. He wondered how she would be able to make anything out of the mess of stars that shone down on him. She always said the constellations were the most beautiful part of the night sky. To him, it was already beautiful enough.

This was their first night here, and so far Nick was pleased with it all. Their train hadn't left until rather late, making it so that he and Judy went straight to bed as soon as they arrived. The whole Hopps meet and greet would happen the next morning so long as Nick managed to get some sleep. RIght now it was looking like that wasn't going to happen. Wide awake, Nick looked around at the moon and starlit countryside and drawing in breath after breath of fresh Bunnyburrow air.

Before they got all settled in, Nick had the chance to finally meet Judy's parents face to face and have a short chat with them while they unpacked. He'd spoken with them multiple times over the phone, so he was well acquainted with them, though he found it much different when it was all in person. It was a good difference, however. Nick found it nice to see all of them and not just their faces. Nick had learned over the years that some mammals expressed their true thoughts through body language. He was relieved when he was able to conclude that everything they have said about him was true. That was his conclusion, at least. He had yet to feel completely certain that they approved of him.

Currently, on the grass, Nick wondered what it would be like to be among those stars. They seemed so abundant that if he were to go high enough, he'd be able to grab a pawful of them and bring them back down with him.

The sound of the door opening behind him brought his angular ears back and his mind away from his strange thoughts. With a sluggish motion, Nick turned his head as far behind him as he could to see what caused the noise. Walking out of the house were Bonnie and Stu, both of which were dressed in heavier coats while Nick was comfortable in the clothes he arrived in, a simple t-shirt and jeans. The two aging rabbits came up behind him, and Nick could tell that they were slightly concerned as to why he was up so late.

"How ya doin', son? Everything alright?" Stu asked quietly. Even with the howling of the wind and the quietness of his voice, the sound carried well, and Nick heard him with no problem. The word 'son' struck him in the heart. While they'd gotten the chance to know each other over the phone, it must have been harder for Bonnie and Stu to gauge Nick's true nature. The fact that they had only met him face to face a few hours ago, and now they called him 'son' was a bit surprising, though Nick was nearly overcome with joy. It had been nearly thirty years since anyone had called him that.

"I'm fine, Stu, thank you," Nick sighed, though he barely convinced himself. Bonnie closed the distance between them and placed a paw on Nick's shoulder.

"Nick, it's past midnight and it's cold. Don't you want to come inside?" the doe said. Nick chuckled to himself.

"I've got thick fur," he said, patting his exposed arms. "This is actually kind of nice, especially with the stars. Judy told me about them one time and how they were uncountable and as bright as the moon. I didn't believe her at first. But here they are…"

"I have a feeling the stars are not the only reason you're out here," said Bonnie, who cocked her hips to the side as she gave Nick a glare that said she knew something was up. That look almost made Nick smile. It was incredible just how much Judy was like her mother.

"You're right, there. I've had issues sleeping for a while now. I just deal with it, though. I don't think the drugs even help Judy at all."

"Well, right now, she's the one asleep, and you're the one awake, so maybe you're wrong, there, Nick," Bonnie said.

"Maybe…"

There was a long moment of silence between the two rabbits and the fox before anything else was said. "You look like you want to talk. Could you at least come inside so that we aren't freezing our tails off?" Stu said with a delicate smile. Nick turned to face him and nodded, figuring that there was no harm in having a little chat. He stood up and followed the two rabbits back inside, ducking his head so that he could fit through the doorway. Coming into the living room, which was actually a very large space designed to hold at least fifty or so individual rabbits at a time, Nick sat down in a chair right across from Bonnie and Stu.

"Nick, it looks like something is bothering you. Is it something you want to talk about?" Bonnie asked. Nick didn't think he was in the mood to talk about what was bothering him. He was embarrassed, and even a little nervous about mentioning it to Judy's parents. One thing he quickly learned was that Bonnie was an incredible mother. She'd raised almost three hundred children in her days, and that led to her being almost as good at reading people as Nick was. However, her voice was so nurturing and so calming that Nick felt not only like he needed to talk, but that he _wanted_ to.

"Listen, if I tell you about this… _please_ promise not to tell Judy that I said anything. I'm not proud of this at all." Nick watched as both of the rabbits nodded, Stu even zipped his fingers over his lips as if he were closing a zipper.

"If it matters to you this much, we won't break that promise," Bonnie said and waited for Nick to continue.

"Back when Judy and I first started dating, things were great, and I mean _really_ great. I had never fallen in love until I met her. But, you see, things weren't as great as I thought. We ended up getting into the topic of kits and marriage, and I found out that Judy doesn't ever want to have kits. I do, but I figured that I would rather love her for the rest of my life. It wasn't an easy choice to make, but I know I made the right one. It's just…"

"You're beginning to have second thoughts?" Stu asked. Nick paused for a moment and thought. After a few seconds, Nick shook his head.

"Not exactly. Judy… well, she doesn't like to think before she speaks sometimes. It's gotten her into a bit of trouble more than once. I'm wondering if there would ever be a chance at her changing her mind." Nick looked up at the two rabbits. Stu looked like he was as confused as Nick with the situation, but Bonnie wore a sneaky little smirk.

"Nick," she began. "Us does are usually pretty stubborn."

"Amen, to that," came the quick remark from Stu, which left Bonnie slightly agitated as she gave him a powerful elbow to the side, and Nick chuckling at the comment.

"As I was saying, it can be tough to change our minds, especially when we think we know what we want. But that's the key. I know eventually she will have the urge to start a family with you, but you just have to let her decide that on her own. And if she doesn't, then that's just how it was meant to be. If she's anything like me, then I have a feeling that will be sooner rather than later." The rabbit doe gave Nick a reassuring smile, one that told him all he had to do was be patient. Nick knew that eventually, he would get the urge to have a family. All he could do was hope that it would fade over time, but recently it had gotten especially preoccupying. Nick didn't want to bring it up to Judy, as he knew that it would likely make her angry or upset, and he was not keen on being the cause of that.

Nick looked hopefully into the eyes of Bonnie. "You really think so?"

"Give it time, Nick. Judy has yet to truly understand what parenthood is all about. I'm not guaranteeing this will happen, but I'm hoping that it does. Stu and I would be more than happy to see you two start a family together, even though it wouldn't be one of your own."

"That's right," Stu added. "Now, you should probably try and get some rest, Nick. It's really late. We'll see you in the morning."

With that, the two rabbits stood up and left Nick by himself, dumbfounded and yet somehow hopeful about the future. He didn't necessarily need to have kits to feel fulfilled in life. He already had enough love to last a thousand lifetimes because of Judy.

And now he had hope.

* * *

 _Two Years After the Reds Incident_

With a start and the gentle shake of the bed, Judy shot up with eyes like dinner plates and breath going a million miles per minute. As the gray doe awoke and realized that she was, in fact, awake, she felt her heartbeat start to slow, but remain strong, forcing a paw to her chest as she caught her breath. As her breathing calmed down, her eyes produced tears that flowed like rivers. Only seconds after she woke up, Nick's ears caught the sounds of his distressed rabbit and he, too, woke up. Nick quickly flicked on the lamp at their bedside and turned to her, seeing her mumbling something right as she turned to face him. The look of horror on her face was enough to make his heart cry in pain.

"Oh my God… oh my God… Nick... " she mumbled as Nick wrapped her up in a protecting and soothing hug. As he pressed her body close to his Nick could feel her heartbeat, which was still at a dangerously high rate. Judy brought her arms around Nick's neck as a few tears that filled her eyes rolled down her cheeks and onto Nick's shoulder. The fox, scared to death by this sudden awakening, rocked her back and forth as he shook in fear knowing exactly what caused her distress.

"Nick, it was terrible! We were back in the power station and Marvin was standing over you with his cleaver to your neck. I tried to stop him but I couldn't move! I watched him…" Nick choked down his own sobs as Judy fought to get the words out, and ultimately failed as she broke down into more tears and cries.

"Shhh, it's ok… it's ok… I'm right here, honey. No one is going to hurt me. No one is going to hurt you," Nick whispered as he rocked her in his arms, holding on like she was a helpless child in need of comfort. After a few minutes of him shushing her and holding her, Judy was calmed down, but still grabbing the scruff of his neck. When she released him, Nick could still feel where she squeezed and possibly caused him to bleed. It hurt, but the pain was worth it to have her calmed down. The rabbit trembled in his arms and pretty soon she nuzzled up to him again, letting the steady rhythm of Nick's heartbeat guide her own until they were in sync.

"That's the third nightmare you've had this week. Are you sure everything is alright?" Nick asked. His voice was quiet but still stern and worried. He'd asked her time and time again if she needed to do some extra counseling due to how much the nightmares were increasing recently, but she insisted she was alright.

"I'm fine, Nick. Dr. Garvey said that it was just Anniversary Syndrome. It's almost been two years since that happened, so he told me that they might happen more often for a little while." Nick didn't respond. He just kept rocking his bunny back and forth until both of them started to feel tired again. When Judy let out a tiny yawn, Nick stopped his rocking and squeezed her gently into a tight hug, placing a heartfelt kiss on her forehead as he lay her back down. Nick's arms stayed wrapped around her, the fox bringing his tail and wrapping it around the rest of her body, effectively covering her like a warm blanket.

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Judy. Let's get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow." Though she was tired and ready to get back to sleep, Judy couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

 _The Next Day_

"I'm beat, Carrots. This was kind of a long day."

From next to him, the rabbit lowered her sunglasses, casting a violet gaze his way and silently scoffing at his comment.

"Nick, we've been sitting here for three hours. How could you possibly be tired?" she asked. Nick smirked as he too looked to his side, lowered his mirrored aviators and displayed his emeralds her way. The fox kept eye contact for a while before going back to his comfortable rest position.

"Sitting on a beach is hard work for a fox like me. Looking so good isn't easy. But, of course, you already knew that, beautiful." Nick put his sunglasses back up to his eyes and leaned back in his beach chair. Judy smiled, not even bothering hiding her blush. She held her fist out, and without even looking, Nick's fist met hers.

"We look good," Judy said with a smugness that was so rarely seen from her.

"Everybody knows that, Carrots," Nick added. "Just look at everyone else. They want to be us." Judy cast her fox a quick glance before looking back to the bright blue sky and resting her paws behind her head. Nick did the same, taking in the sight of his bikini-clad bunny. He was glad that she opted for _that_ suit rather than the one piece suit that she was originally going to bring on their trip. Judy argued with Nick the night before they left, but he ultimately won. How he did so, she wasn't exactly sure.

"Nick, this is a private beach. We are the only two here."

"Which makes this that much better for both of us. There is only one other mammal to look at. I'd say we both hit the jackpot."

Judy didn't respond. She just chuckled and continued relaxing in the warm Pawaiian sun. It was approximately a year ago that the couple started thinking about doing what Judy wanted to do, travel the world. They started out small, driving to places that they wanted to go, like other cities in Califurnia and Zoo York, though Nick said he would never want to sit in a car for that long ever again. This was their first trip that required an airplane, and so far, their most expensive by a large difference. Of course, it didn't help that they had a small cabin to themselves as well as a section of private oceanfront on Mamèl Beach where they could be together and have no other distractions. The vacation put a large dent in their bank account, but they still had plenty to keep up with their bills once they got back. It would be a while before they went on another trip.

"I'm glad you said something about traveling the world. I would never have done this," Nick said.

"Why not?" his bunny asked.

"I tended to stay in the city. When we went to Bunnyburrow a while back, that was the first time I'd been out of the city in probably twenty or so years."

"It had been that long? Why didn't you ever get out for a breather?"

"I never really wanted to. I was fine with staying where I was. I'm not like that anymore because of you." Nick brought his relaxed gaze over to Judy who reciprocated the loving stare as they came together for a short kiss.

"I love you, Nick. I know I say it a lot, but what would I ever do without you?" The bunny kept her gaze fixed on him and his beautiful eyes, his coarse, but fluffy fur, his smile that seemed to always be on his lips.

"Judy, I know what you'd do without me. You'd still be out there doing what you love. You might even be here in Pawaii, just alone and maybe without that heart-stoppingly amazing smile," Judy watched as he stood up from the beach chair and, while still holding her paw, walked in front of her and knelt down so he was level with her eyes. "Judy, you might be doing alright if you didn't have me, but there isn't a day that goes by that I fear what would happen if I didn't have you. I shudder at the thought, it is my greatest fear, and because of what happened when we were so young in our relationship, I knew that I couldn't let that happen again. Everything I do is for you because I want you more than anything in this world. If I didn't have you, I would still be out on the streets, or maybe in prison by now. You might have even been the one to catch me," Nick said, letting out the tiniest of chuckles thinking about what it would be like for Judy to arrest him and send him off to jail.

"Nick, what are you doing?"

"I'll show you in a second, but right now, I need you to let me finish everything that I need to say because it's important that you hear everything before giving me your answer."

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized exactly what Nick was doing. She didn't know if he was trying to be sneaky about it or not, but she definitely knew exactly what he was going to ask her. And she had known that answer for a long time.

"Yes! You already know my answer!" she exclaimed, but Nick put a digit to her lips as he reached into his pocket.

"Now, now, my sweet little bunny. There's no need to rush. And besides, I haven't said anything yet." Judy's eyes were twinkling with such delight and she was just about bouncing in her seat. Her paws covered her mouth as Nick finally displayed the ring to her.

"Judith Hopps, will you—"

"Yes!"

"Let me finish. Will—"

"Yes," she said with a small voice and a guilty smile. Nick inhaled and stared at her with a playfully annoyed look. "Yes… sorry…" Judy giggled as Nick poked a finger into her belly. "Go ahead, I promise I won't interrupt you this time." While Nick was skeptical, he reset his position and started from the beginning.

"Judith Hopps, will you marry me," holding up a finger, Nick added in the modifier to his question. "Tomorrow? I know the only thing we have to do tomorrow is sit in these chairs again and relax the whole day. There's a place in the city that can get it all done for us without a big production." With a hopeful, yet knowing grin, Nick opened his arms and waited for his bunny to give him her final response.

"Yes…" she said quietly, hardly holding back tears and nodding her head as she hugged Nick, holding onto him and never wanting to let go. The fox and the rabbit shared this moment completely alone. Each other was all they needed, and starting the next day, they would be together in the fullest way possible. They separated from the hug and sat on the beach chair for a while, watching the waves gently crash onto the sandy shore and the setting sun cast vibrant hues onto the water, making the sea sparkle with a perfect radiance.

"You're going to look so beautiful in your dress," Nick said, which warranted a rather bemused bunny.

"Dress? I don't have a dress!"

"Just you wait, Carrots." Judy's eyes lit up when his smile lost it's smugness and became something that she loved more than his tail. The corners of his lips curled upward into a smile of genuine happiness.

* * *

 _A Few Days Later_

"You eloped!?"

Nick cringed at the proximity of the deafening shouts. "I guess we're done talking about our trip to Pawaii..."

The unanimous cry from the two other mammals turned a few heads, but the atmosphere in the ZPD lobby remained entirely as it normally was. Tanya leaned against Clawhauser's desk with her arms crossed and a slightly disturbed frown curling her lips downward. Clawhauser looked as if he were about to cry, though not tears of joy. The fox and the rabbit stood by them, Nick's tail wrapping around Judy and keeping her close. With a shy smile, Judy held up her paw and displayed the diamond ring that had only been on her finger for a short while.

"Surprise?" she questioned, figuring that her friends were not completely happy with the suddenness of the ceremony that no one else saw. Judy didn't blame them. She and Nick were the department's equivalent of the Cowdashians. Everyone loved them, and while it could be a bit much at times, the two appreciated the support. The fact that they got married without telling anyone may have been a bit insulting to the rest of the ZPD.

"I mean… I'm happy for you two, but this is just insane! You get married _and_ you don't invite anyone _or_ tell anyone? What's the deal with that?" came the reply from Tanya. The caracal was the original cheerleader for Nick and Judy, the one that gave them a little bit of courage in being together when they were unsure of the rest of the world's reaction. Judy knew that she deserved a good explanation.

"We didn't want a big ceremony. I was never really one for big weddings," Judy said, though it didn't seem to calm Tanya's mild discontentment.

"But it was supposed to be so wonderful! I would be there, the whole ZPD would be there! It was going to be the best night of our lives!" Clawhauser added. From the others in the small group, they could all feel for him. Though Tanya may have been the original cheerleader, Clawhauser was the unofficial leader of the WildeHopps fan club. Unofficial because it didn't exist. Nick and Judy would rather keep it that way.

"Sorry, Ben. It's the way things had to be. Neither of us really wanted a big ceremony, and it's not like we're going to have a second ceremony. We're already married!"

The group was silent for several seconds before Tanya's eyes suddenly grew wide and she started to get excited.

"That's it! Have another ceremony!" she shouted. Nick and Judy looked curiously at each other and then back to the hyperventilating caracal.

"Ok, Tanya, hang on. You think we should have another ceremony?" the rabbit asked. As Tanya began to slow herself down, she smiled and nodded.

"Of course! Think about it, everyone else will get the chance to have some fun and celebrate you two. You can invite only your closest of friends, so no crazy party with hundreds of mammals. Plus, it would be super easy to set up. I bet we could have this over and done with by next week if we start now!"

Judy was absolutely against the idea. They were already married, and a second ceremony would be completely pointless. Not to mention, the thought of planning a wedding, even if it is a very small one, cannot be done in a week. It would be two months at the earliest, and by then, Judy expected everyone to have calmed down about her and Nick having eloped.

"You're insane if you think you can plan a wedding in a week. Right, Nick?" Judy looked up to her foxy husband, only to find him with a paw on his chin and eyes distant in contemplation. "You're actually thinking about it? You have to be kidding me! Not that I think it's a bad idea, but there is no way this would work!"

"Hang on a minute, Carrots. I think Tanya might be right. There would be, what… ten guests at the most? I think this is doable. We might as well give it a shot. Plus, if things go wrong, it doesn't matter. We are already married. Everyone is happy!" Nick said, and Judy hated to admit that it made some amount of sense.

"Ok, I can see the point there, but what about a minister? There is no way we'd be able to get one to do it in a week," Judy said. As if they'd forgotten he was there, Nick and Judy were both surprised to hear Clawhauser speak up with a shy smile showing itself on his pudgy face.

"I could do it…" he said quietly. Judy stared at Clawhauser blankly, only blinking a few times in her confusion. Nick was equally baffled, though his usual demeanor remained mostly intact. Silence followed Clawhauser's bizarre and almost unbelievable statement, though it was Tanya that broke it all.

"You can? Since when were you a minister?" she asked.

"I took classes years ago before I became a cop. I could have done it for you two in the first place, but I didn't know you were getting married so soon."

"You'd really do that for us?" Nick asked. "What do you think about that, Carrots? Want to have a second wedding?" The fox looked down at Judy hopefully. The choice was simple for her, now. There was one reason that she really didn't want to have a regular ceremony, and that had to do with the chances of them finding a minister willing to marry a fox and a rabbit. She was sure that mammal was out there, but searching for the perfect minister would prove to be just as hard as finding their apartment. The hardest part was no longer an issue, and so she had but one answer.

"Let's get married again!"

"I think you'll find that this is going to be so much better than getting hitched in Pawaii. You know how much we all love you two. It would mean the world to everyone, especially the Chief if you do this. I'm getting excited myself!" said Tanya, who, based on how her paws were currently shaking without her moving, was quite obviously getting excited. Nick and Judy couldn't help but feel blessed by the incredible amount of support that they received. It was unlike anything they could have expected, and in fact, was the complete opposite of their original thoughts. It seemed like everyone at the ZPD was on team WildeHopps, and the way they showed it was such a testament to the mammalian heart. For a young couple that should have faced persecution and torment for who they loved, all they seemed to find was an ever-growing fountain of support from everyone. Very few times did someone actually voice their disgust. Nick and Judy were just fine with that.

"I think this is the right thing to do, Nick. Let's get planning!"

* * *

 _One Week Later_

Twenty minutes was all the longer she had to wait.

As the rabbit stood with her paw resting on a tree, the thought made her realize just how much her life had changed over the last few years. She left for Zootopia to fulfill her dream of becoming a police officer. It was her second greatest triumph. Of course, it wasn't always that, but soon after she arrived, Judy realized that she wanted something more from the city. That something came in the form of a silly red fox in a Pawaiian shirt.

Nick was the very reason that she went back to Zootopia after figuring out what was causing the savage predators before the Nighthowler case was solved. She didn't go back just so that she could put an end to everything. No, she went back first to apologize to Nick. He was the first thing in her thoughts, no matter what the case. Even when their relationship was at stake, she put his happiness before her own. It didn't feel right to have him be unhappy for any reason. All she wanted to do was make him as happy as he could be.

And he did the same. Even though he said it so much, there was no possible way she could actually understand how much she meant to him. With The Reds Incident came night terrors about the event, but even before that, Nick suffered from them. He would wake up screaming and feeling around for her, hoping to know that she was still there. And when she was in her own apartment, Nick would call her, just so that he could hear her voice. She would stay up as long as he wanted her to. They loved each other, and with that came doing whatever it took to make sure the other knew it to the fullest of their being.

Judy's ears were pressed firmly behind her head, and while she did not smile, the rabbit was excited about the memory she was about to make with Nick. It felt a bit strange knowing that she was already married and she was about to get remarried to the same fox, only this time with more grandiose. Not that this was much of a fancy ceremony. Her dress was not very expensive, though it did look very nice, the decorations were minimal, the catering consisted of home cooking from her parents and a few siblings that were allowed to attend, there were no chairs, and the flowers had been grown in Judy's own home, mere feet from her house. It was simple, but it was perfect.

There were not very many mammals in attendance. This included Judy's parents and three siblings, Nick's mother, Finnick, Tanya, Clawhauser, and Chief Bogo. In total it came to ten mammals, not including her and Nick. Judy didn't want a big ceremony. The only way it could get any smaller is if they did as they had the first time.

This was still a bit strange in Judy's mind. She wasn't going to complain because the amount of work her and Nick had to do was very minimal. A few phone calls and some simple choices later and they had a wedding planned out in a week. The only hard choice they had to make was about where it was going to be held. Tanya voiced her opinion and said they should do it at a place that held meaning for both of them. Nick originally suggested the pit in the Natural History Museum, but that was quickly shot down, though it received a few laughs. Judy thought back to the place where she first remembered feeling her love for Nick bloom. It was small back then, but looking at the moment told her that was where it all began.

It was the reason there was a cobblestone bridge in front of her.

When she suggested this place, she found Nick realizing the same thing that she did. This was where their love first sprouted. Everything that has happened to them since was because of that one fateful day, and this very place. Nick later told her that this used to be where he rested his head at night. Why it was so far away from downtown Zootopia, she may never get the answer, but she probably didn't want to know the reason, nor did she really care to hear it. It didn't matter anymore.

Judy's ears swiftly moved upright, the soft sounds of another pair of rabbit feet coming ever closer. Judy turned her head toward the sound and saw her mother, dressed in a simple pink dress that didn't quite touch the ground. As the older doe approached, Judy could see a pleased smile curling her lips. Judy threw away her blank expression and exchanged it for happiness and ran toward her mother, though being mindful of her clean, white dress. The does came together in a firm hug, Judy feeling her throat tighten as she resisted the urge to cry.

"It's time, darling. Your father is waiting for you." Bonnie released her daughter from the hug and patted her on the shoulder a couple of times. "That fox of yours is waiting, too. Go get him."

With a smile and a nod, Judy walked closer to the bridge, finding her father waiting at the beginning of the aisle, if it could even be called one. The few that attended stood in front of the bridge, Nick waited patiently right underneath it, and Clawhauser stood in his ceremonial vestments, barely able to contain himself now that he could see Judy in her wedding dress. Judy did not focus too long on Clawhauser, though. The handsome fox in his ZPD dress uniform gained all of her attention as he stood with his paws in front of him, layed over one another as he watched her appear.

It was quite a bit of distance between them, though Judy could still see how excited he was getting. The fox gently swayed back and forth as if he were becoming restless. The smile on his face only grew larger with time, as did Judy's urge to run to him, but she waited. Her father walked up beside her and with a loving stare took her by the arm and began walking her down the aisle.

Her ears soon caught the sound of a sweet guitar melody from nearby, and her eyes followed it until she saw one of her brothers creating the beautiful sound. Each note rang out so purely, and the buck looked to his sister with a toothy grin before bringing his full attention back to playing his acoustic instrument. As Judy and Stu made it to the end of the aisle, the old buck gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek as he released her arm and nodded towards Nick, telling her that she needed to go to him. Judy turned to her fox and walked slowly until she was only inches from him. He looked at her like she was the most precious thing in his life. He was there to protect her, no matter what happened.

Judy realized quickly that there may have been a benefit to having already gotten married, and Clawhauser, though he was eager to get to preside over the ceremony, figured everyone had been to enough weddings to know how they go and made things go rather quickly, and in a much more relaxed fashion than normal. Once again, Judy was perfectly happy with it all. As long as she got to spend the rest of her life with Nick, that was all that mattered. She didn't even feel that this was necessary, but it would satisfy the whims of everyone else, so she figured it would be no big deal for her. She was more than happy to make others happy.

"Welcome everyone! I know you're all as excited as I am about this, so I'm just going to cut to the chase!" With a quick squeal, Clawhauser looked to Nick and Judy. "Nick, you may deliver your vows."

Both the fox and the rabbit tensed up.

A paw came to his face as he realized that there was one thing that both of them forgot to do, and the one thing that they _really_ wanted to do.

"Our vows! We never wrote our vows!" Nick whispered, though, with everyone so close, it wasn't like this was going to be much of a secret. Clawhauser chuckled, knowing that he had the perfect solution.

"Well… why don't you just say things that you like about each other?" Nick turned to Judy and shrugged his shoulders. With this being the most impromptu wedding ceremony that he'd ever seen, he figured there was no fault in doing things completely out of the ordinary. He took Judy's paws in his, and with a loving twinkle in his eyes, spoke words of absolute truth to her.

"Judy, you are the most important mammal in my life," Nick leaned to his left and whispered to his mother. "Sorry, Mom. She takes the cake, here."

"That's alright, sweetie," Veronica said with a giggle. Turning back to Judy, Nick smiled once again and continued.

"I love the way you smile, especially after I've said something completely stupid. With that being said, I love how you laugh at my jokes even when they leave much to be desired. I love the way you make me feel loved no matter what. I love the way that you love me for who I am and accept who I used to be. I love you." Nick finished and looked to Clawhauser who gave Judy the signal to begin her "vows".

The rabbit stared up into Nick's emerald pools, and just as she began to speak, her lip quivered ever so slightly, though she stayed strong and kept the tears back. "Nick, I never would have thought that I'd be so in love with someone. I love the way you hold me at night. You are like the warmth of a fire when you embrace me. I love it when you curl your tail around me so that I know that you're there at all times. Also, I love your tail. I wish you'd let me hug it more often."

"You can hug it as long as you want, tonight, Carrots," Nick added with a little smirk.

"I love everything that you say because it always puts a smile on my face. Most of all, I love how nothing can keep us apart. No amount of bumps in the road could ever make me love you any less. I can't imagine life without you now that I know what it's like to have you."

A large sniff could be heard from in between Nick and Judy. When the two looked at Clawhauser, the poor cheetah was beside himself and trying his best to hide his tears of joy. While it was heartwarming, they gave him stern, yet playful looks knowing that he was supposed to be officiating the wedding and not showing so much emotion that he was pretty much unable to function anymore.

"It's just so beautiful!" he claimed as Nick patted him on the back.

"I know, but we all want to party, so let's wrap this up, ok?" Wiping away his tears, Clawhauser stood straight up and prepared to finish the ceremony without crying again.

"Nick, do you take Judy to be your *sniff* lawfullyweddedwifesolongasyoubothshalllive?"

Hardly holding back laughter, Nick delivered a strong, "I do."

"AnddoyouJudytakeNicktobeyourlawfullyweddedhisbandsolongasyoubothshalllive? PleasehurrybeforeIpassoutthisissoadorable!"

Bringing her gaze to meet Nick's, Judy let the first tears fall from her eyes.

"I do."

"Nick, you may *sniff* kiss the bride!"

With a squeak, Judy felt herself lifted into the air and come to a rest firmly in Nick's arms. The fox smiled down at her with such a gaze of love that she couldn't resist his lips any longer and pressed her's hard onto his, nearly knocking him over she kissed with such passion. Though there were only a few in attendance, the roar of applause was more than enough for Nick and Judy. Bonnie, Stu, Judy's three siblings, Tanya, Chief Bogo, Veronica, and Finnick all gravitated toward the fox and bunny pair and offering congratulations on the marriage.

With the ceremony complete, Nick and Judy were excited to get on home and rest after the week of craziness, however, there was still one thing left to do. The little gift to them had been a bit of a secret, and though they wouldn't get to keep it, the group found it would be a nice little humorous wedding present.

Bogo got the pair's attention and, as he leaned down to talk to them, they brought all of their attention to the large buffalo. "We all decided to get you two a little gift that you can ride away in. I'm sure you'll find it rather… charming." Nick looked to Judy, and the rabbit did the same, confused as to what this gift could possibly be when suddenly the whine of a little engine caught their attention as a very uncomfortable Wolford drove the three-wheeled joke-mobile up to them. The wolf struggled to squeeze out of it, though sighed in relief as he did so and arched his back to alleviate some of the pain.

"I hope you two enjoy this thing for the night. I had to drive it all the way from the Precinct to get it here. That thing is _not_ made for mammals my size!"

Nick and Judy stood in awe at the vehicle. It had been decorated with streamers colored red and grey. Nick craned his neck to the side and saw that the back had a sign that read: "Just Married… Again!".

"We figured that this was the first car you two ever rode in together, so…" the wolf shrugged his shoulders as he kept his gaze fixed on the fox and rabbit pair. Judy didn't know what to think about the whole ordeal. She thought it was humorous and a nice little gesture, but this was also the bane of her existence when she was a new officer, as well as for three months after The Reds Incident. She hated that little thing, it couldn't even be called a car. It was just as Nick described it. A joke.

"What do you say, Carrots? Want to paint the town in the three-wheeled joke-mobile?" The reynard in his dress blues pulled Judy close to him, and while she did hate the little vehicle, it had nothing to do with work today. This time it would be all about enjoyment with her husband. Judy broke free of Nick's grasp and ran towards the vehicle, instantly hopping into the driver's seat.

"Only if I get to drive! Let's go, Nick!"

The fox grinned mischievously as he, too, ran to the vehicle. "I don't think so!"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Life happens, to me, too!**

 **I sure hope you enjoyed! This wasn't the easiest chapter to write, but it was also rather large, so perhaps that had something to do with it. And with this one done, there is just one last chapter to go and this story will be completely finished! That is super exciting and super sad at the same time! This story has been going for eight months (that mark was hit yesterday), which seems absolutely crazy considering that I had no idea what was going to happen with it when I first started it in August.**

 **I thank you all for reading. And as always, don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. Take care. Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


	17. Finale: Little Wonders

**A/N: I'm already crying… this is the final chapter of the story… *tear***

 **Anyway, I have one thing to say before I let you get on to the final chapter. Below is the song that has inspired this entire chapter. If you haven't figured it out, I absolutely love Rob Thomas, and this song perfectly sums up this final chapter and the entire story as a whole.**

 **Little Wonders - By Rob Thomas**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _About Three Years After The Reds Incident_

Nick sighed as he shut the door to his locker, banging his head against the smooth metal surface as he thanked God the day was over. If there was one thing that he hated more than anything, it was doing a shift all by himself. He never thought it would be too bad, but he always underestimated the boredom that would befall him when he was alone in the car. Nick learned pretty quickly that Judy made the day much brighter, and if it wasn't for her, he probably would have hated his job.

There was a dragging feeling of loneliness in the cabin of the police cruiser when only one mammal was inside. Nick found it to be eerily quiet despite the sound of the radio going off every once in a while. He had no one to talk to, no one to keep him company, and no one to pester just in case he got a little bored. Today, Nick finally knew what it was like to be bored for hours and hours, never being able to alleviate it in any way. If this was what Hell was like, Nick was for sure going to start praying.

Of course, these days were seldom had by the fox. This was the first time Judy had called in sick in over a year, and while he would have liked to have her with him today, she looked absolutely dreadful this morning. Unfortunately, for Nick, he _had_ to go to work, otherwise, they would be hurting for some cash. Their last trip, though it had been quite a while ago, was still showing signs in their bank account and both of them vowed to do everything to save a dollar here or there. This meant that they would work as much as possible, and ever since then, they had done just that. Nick nagged and nagged to try and stay home with her for the day, but she insisted that he go to work. She would be fine, she told him. Nick wasn't so sure, but he obeyed her, nonetheless.

 _Bonnie was right, does are stubborn…_ Nick thought to himself with a silent chuckle as he gathered his belongings from the locker room and walked out. As he approached the exit to the ZPD, a cheerful voice called from behind him. "Heading out for the day?" said Clawhauser. Nick stopped and offered the cheetah a nod as Nick backtracked towards his desk.

"Yeah, time to take care of my sick bun-bun," he said with a tired smile.

"Judy not feeling well, today?"

"No, the poor thing, she looked horrendous this morning. I tried to stay with her, but she forced me to go to work."

"I can see who wears the pants in the relationship, now…"

"Not helping, Spots… today really sucked."

"Being without her is that hard for you?"

Nick slapped his paw gently and repeatedly on the desk as he let out a confirming sigh. "I know it sounds silly, but I really feel whole when she's next to me. Today was so boring, and, I don't know if you can tell, I'm really glad that it's over. I would have much rather stayed home and caught whatever stomach bug she has." Clawhauser laughed as he patted Nick on the forearm.

"Well, if you're that eager to get home, I won't keep you any longer. Have a good night, Nick. Enjoy your weekend, and tell Judy that I hope she feels better!"

"I'll be sure to!" Nick waved as he walked out of the precinct and headed towards the direction of the subway. As he walked, Judy was constantly on his mind, hoping that everything was fine at home. As he walked, Nick mindlessly pulled out his phone to check the time but saw that he had a text from her which he received almost an hour ago. He laughed as he read the short message.

" **Pick up antacids. Stomach is about to explode."**

"Very well, Carrots. Your wish is my command," he whispered to himself as he typed in his response confirming that he would do as she asked. Nick adjusted his route to make it to a small convenience store that wouldn't be too far off from the subway. Walking inside, Nick looked around a little bit before he found a small bottle of the tablets. Nick also decided to pick up a bottle of lemon-lime flavored soda and a carton of saltine crackers for her to snack on if she got hungry, figuring that these would be easy to keep down in case that was an issue. Without much of a wait, Nick purchased the items and hurried towards the subway so that he could make it home.

The ride was quiet, and pretty soon Nick was nearly running towards the apartment, careful not to shake the bag with the soda in it. As he made it to the apartment, Nick sprinted up the stairs and hurried down the hall until he was finally at the door. Coming inside, he could instantly tell that someone was not feeling well. There was a certain smell in the air that reminded him of a hospital room, almost as if sickness was in the air. He quietly shut the door and crept around the corner to find Judy covered in her favorite carrot print blanket and asleep on the couch, an empty trash can next to her and the TV still on, though the volume down low.

Nick admired his sick bunny as he set the bags down on the ground. Silently walking over to her, the fox knelt down and felt her forehead. It wasn't overly hot, but he could tell that she was running a slight fever. Judy stirred in her sleep right as Nick placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Her eyes opened slowly, revealing a pair of violet spheres that looked almost as dreadful as the rest of her.

"Good morning, sunshine. Feeling any better?" Nick said with a concerned smile.

Judy sat upright and rubbed her head. "A little. You picked up the antacids?"

"Sure did. Any idea of what's got you all nasty and sick-y?"

Nick watched as Judy's face twisted into a fearful frown. She closed her eyes as she tried her best to relax, though it was clear that she was bothered by something.

"Nick… I need you to come into the bathroom with me… just for a couple of minutes. Please?" Nick stepped back, confused as to why Judy would be asking that. However, his bunny was sick, and he would do whatever she asked without question.

"Umm… ok, Carrots," Nick said as Judy lead him into the bathroom. She shut the door behind them and reached down below the sink where some random cleaning supplies were. She nearly put her whole body into the cabinet before she came back out and held a small box. Judy closed the doors of the cabinet and displayed the box to him. Nick instantly understood the reason that she was feeling so sick.

"Oh… ok, umm… this is news. I didn't—"

"No, I haven't taken one, yet. I was waiting for you to get home so that we could find out together."

"You're not…?"

"I'm not going to react until I see the results. I'm not certain, but… let's just do this. I can't wait any longer."

Nick turned around and walked out of the bathroom, Judy closing the door quietly behind him. He waited for less than a minute for Judy to do her business, and when she was ready for him to come back in, she opened the door for him. Nick walked in, suddenly feeling his heart rate increase dramatically. He'd been nervous at his graduation. He'd been nervous on his wedding day, both times. Never before in his life did he feel quite as nervous as now.

 _Am I going to be a dad…?_

Judy pressed her ears behind her head as she sat down against the wall, face showing no emotions in anticipation for the results from the pregnancy test. Nick's ears were flat against the back of his head in that same anticipation. This had to be mental torture for Judy, especially because of what she said she wanted. But Nick still thought that this was all just a false alarm. He was a fox, she was a rabbit. There was zero chance that they could conceive a child together. Right?

Nick sat down next to her, his face scrunched into a nervous frown. He was most nervous for her. He would be elated if she was pregnant. She would probably be devastated.

"How much longer?" Nick asked as he looked over at her. She had the pregnancy test on the floor, the side that displayed the result unseen by either of them. Judy sighed and looked up at Nick.

"I think it's time…"

Nick gulped as his heart nearly beat out of his chest in anticipation and nerve. Judy closed her eyes as she picked it up and turned it around, still with her eyes closed. Nick also closed his and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they began the countdown.

"Three."

"Two."

"One," they said together. At the same time, the fox and the rabbit opened their eyes to the answer to what the next chapter of their lives would be. As a feeling of dread for Judy came to the fox, Nick realized that he was staring at a little plus sign, indicating the one thing that he feared.

Judy was pregnant.

Nick stared at her with a longing to comfort her, though he didn't know what he could say to make this any better for her. All he could think about was how terrified she probably was. Her face remained unchanged in emotion. She just stared at the positive pregnancy test and tried to soak it all in.

"Judy… I…" The fox stammered trying to find the words to say, but it was all in vain. There was nothing they could do about it now. As Nick heard the first sniff from Judy, he squeezed her tighter to his body, hoping that the closeness of his heart would calm her.

"We're gonna have a baby…" she said quietly. Nick nodded with a slight frown, though that quickly changed when Judy turned to meet his eyes. Curling her lips upward was the happiest smile he'd ever seen. "We're gonna have a baby!" she shouted as he threw the pregnancy test to the floor and jumped onto Nick, wrapping him up in a tight, loving hug. Nick hugged back, but he was slightly confused by this reaction. As they separated, Nick put both paws on her shoulders and looked her sternly in the eyes.

"You're happy about this? I thought you never wanted kits?"

"Nick… look, I know that I've always said that. For the longest time, I felt that was going to be the case forever. But… I just… I can't explain how it happened. It wasn't like this was overnight, though! I've been wondering if maybe I do want kits for a while, now, a-and…" Judy wiped at her eyes as she started to cry. Nick simply stared at her, his mind wondering what it was supposed to make him do.

"Judy, right now, I should be furious at you. This whole topic was the reason we nearly broke up! Are you sure you want this because honestly, I don't think you know, yourself."

Judy stared at the floor. "I know, Nick. Looking back, it was a stupid thing to say, but now that this is actually happening, I want it more than anything in the world."

Nick watched as her gaze never left one spot on the floor. He could tell that she wasn't really happy with herself and that she felt like she'd hurt Nick in some way. He didn't want it to stay like that. Nick put an arm around her shoulder and listened to her as she sniffed away more tears. The fox put both of his paws on her cheeks and faced her so she was staring right into his eyes. Using his thumbs, Nick wiped away the sadness from her eyes.

"Hey, hey! None of these tears, sweetheart! Did you really think I could be mad at you for this? I'm just confused, is all. You never told me you were thinking any differently about having kits, so naturally, I assumed you still thought the same."

"You're not mad?" Judy choked.

"Of course not, and besides…" Nick smiled mischievously at Judy, which instantly caused a smile to tug at the corners of her lips, too. He scooped Judy up into a hug and spun her around in the bathroom shouting, "We're gonna be parents!" As he did so, Nick showered her face with little kisses, causing the rabbit to giggle with delight as she went for a ride amidst Nick's elation.

"Nick! Put me down!" she shouted with joy. The fox finally decided to set her down, though upon doing so, still kept her wrapped tightly in his embrace. "Nick, you can let go. It's getting hard to breathe…"

"Oh, sorry... I guess I got a little excited," he admitted nervously with a paw rubbing the back of his neck. Judy sat back on the floor and grabbed the pregnancy test just to make sure that she was seeing things correctly.

"Yeah, I can tell you're excited! Nick, you realize that pretty soon this is all going to be over, right? This is gonna go pretty quickly. Before you know it, we are gonna have another mouth to feed." Nick's smile faded as he realized that what she said was very true. Time would fly now that they were expecting, and before he knew it, she would be in the delivery room.

"Things sure have changed, haven't they? Just a few years ago, we hadn't even started dating. Now, look at us! We're going to have a baby! Wait..." As if it were sinking in for the first time, Nick's eyes bulged in realization. "I thought foxes couldn't get rabbits pregnant…"

"I thought so, too…" Judy said after a long moment of contemplation. As she did so, Judy picked up the pregnancy test and both of them stared at the plus sign in the middle to make sure that they were seeing things right. Sure enough, it was still the same as it had been when they first looked. "How many interspecies couples are there in Zootopia?" Judy asked as she looked up at him.

"Not very many."

"And how many of them have conceived a child?"

"As far as I know, only one, and that's us…"

Judy gave a brief moment of pause before she sat down with a disturbing realization. "I'm going to have _so many_ doctor's appointments…"

"You'd still do anything for this child, though. Am I right, or am I right?"

Nick sat down with her and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her midsection, letting his paws feel her stomach. Judy looked up and reached her paws for Nick's muzzle. She grabbed hold and pulled him down until their lips met. She didn't know if it was the pregnancy already taking effect, but she'd never remembered a kiss feeling so perfect.

"Absolutely. I love you, Nick. I love you more than words can describe."

"However much you love me, just know that I love you even more. You are everything to me. This kit is going to love you just like that. I am going to love our kit just like that, and I know you will, too."

Judy hugged one of Nick's arms and snuggled up to him as she let out a satisfied purr.

* * *

 _A Little Ways Down the Road_

Nick did not feel like himself; almost as if he'd been put into the shoes of some stranger and was now living their life. It was all happening, now, and yet it didn't feel real. The fox wanted to do everything in his power to stay awake, and right now he felt like he was losing that battle against his eyelids. Being in the waiting room of the hospital was bad enough, but add in the fact that his wife was in the delivery room, a place that he would have liked to have been in so that he could support Judy, and Nick was pretty much a nervous wreck. Did that mean that Nick was incredibly excited, too?

Yes, yes it did.

Just as they said the day they found out, the time had flown by, and it felt like it was too soon to be real. It definitely came as a bit of a surprise, especially since Nick was woken up at three in the morning by Judy who had just begun to go into labor. He was scared at first, suddenly having his mind going a million miles per second on what all they needed to do. It was Judy that managed to calm him down. Though she was in considerable pain, she still had a smile on her face as she knew that soon they would be parents.

Nick had assisted Judy into the police cruizer and he did everything in his power to get them there as fast as possible. The drive wasn't too far away, so there wasn't much of a wait before Judy was admitted into the hospital, and that led to now, where Nick was hoping that everything would go smoothly with the delivery. He sat by himself and rubbed his face with his paws, dreading every possibility that ended with him hopelessly lost in the world. He didn't want to think like that, but it was a medical miracle that their child even existed. No one had ever seen this before, and no one knew what to expect. That uncertainty caused Nick to think that something terrible was not a question of if, but when.

And all he could do was wait.

The fox was restless in his seat, rocking back and forth, bouncing his legs up and down, sometimes even biting his claws as he hoped and prayed that Judy would be alright. The waiting room was completely silent, only the tapping of keys from the receptionist could be heard aside from Nick's shaky breaths. That silence was soon interrupted as another distressed mammal came inside. Nick's ears brought him to the sound, and soon he was finally able to think about something else.

"Mom!" he exclaimed as he shot up from his seat and ran to the old vixen. Just like Nick, Veronica looked exhausted after being woken up so early by the good news, though there was still such a happy glow to her face that Nick couldn't help but smile when he saw his mother. The two came together in a brief hug, and then Veronica sat her son down and began trying her best to console him, as it was very obvious how distraught he was.

"Mom, they've been in there for a long time. What if something bad happened?"

"Nick, nothing bad is going to happen. Judy is strong, she will be fine, I know it."

It still wasn't enough to quell Nick's fears, but Veronica noticed that he seemed to calm down a little bit. He still looked incredibly nervous, but she could see it in his eyes that he was feeling better. The vixen wrapped her son in a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm proud of you, Nick. This may seem scary right now, but trust me, you're going to be thankful that this all happened in the end. Someday, you might be in my position, and you'll be reminded of this moment. All of the hard times that you'll face until then won't matter for a second. This this the only thing that you should care about right now. Wounds from the past will heal. The first time you see your kit's face, that will stay with you forever."

Nick smiled as tears started to well up in his eyes and he gave his mother a hug back. As they sat in the embrace of one another, a deer in scrubs walked up to the two of them and cleared his throat.

"Nick Wilde?" he questioned. Nick's heart skipped a beat as he realized what was about to happen. A smile curled his lips as he brought his attention to the doctor. "Are you ready to see your daughter?" he said with a smile. Nick felt his paw get squeezed by his mother. He turned to her and she smiled, nodding him towards the room where Judy waited with their daughter. Nick stood up and let the doctor lead him in the right direction. He stopped at the door to Judy's room.

"Mr. Wilde, Judy is rather tired, but she said she wanted to see you. She didn't want to pick a name until you were able to see her. Go on in, she's waiting."

Nick nodded to the deer and slowly pushed the door open. Upon entering, Nick saw Judy laying in the hospital bed, eyes half closed and completely still. Tired though she was, the rabbit stayed awake because resting in her arms was the bundle of joy that was their very own; their own flesh and blood. Nick stood in the doorway and just looked at the scene before him, admiring the peacefulness of the room. He leaned on the doorsill and smiled as he gave the wall a little knock. In the way he loved it most, Judy's ears stood up on their own and moved her head slowly to see Nick. Her eyes lit up, the rest of the beautiful color coming back to them as she did her best to give him a tired smile back.

"How you feeling, Mama?" Nick said quietly. Judy waved the fox over, albeit gently because of the precious little package wrapped in her arms. Nick, without hesitation, walked over to the bedside and took his first glance at his daughter. A tiny little rabbit wrapped in a pink blanket rested in Judy's arms. It was sure obvious who her parents were. She had the same short gray fur that Judy had, although her's was much fluffier. But what Nick absolutely loved was the tones of his own fur color that could be seen in the right light. He wished to see her little eyes for the first time, though they remained closed for the time being. Her cute little nose twitched with every time Judy took a breath in, and as Nick continued to admire his daughter's tiny form, he noticed that she too had a cream-colored underside just like he did. As Nick brought his arm around Judy, a single tear dropped from his eyes.

"She's beautiful… just like you," Nick said amidst sniffs. He squeezed Judy tighter as she, too, began to cry tears of pure joy.

"Here, take her for a moment. You need to have a turn. She is your daughter, too." Judy carefully handed the little rabbit over to Nick, who, with little difficulty, tucked her snug in the bend of his arm and rocked her back and forth, all the while staring down at her sleeping form with the most childish grin on his face. This was completely surreal to Nick, the fact that he was holding his own daughter. It may not have felt real, but it sure felt right.

As Nick lovingly gazed into the sleeping form of his newly born daughter, he felt a surge of emotion flood through his body unlike any feeling he'd ever felt. This was love, he could tell, but it was still different. This was not the love he had for his mother, nor was it the love he had for Judy. No, this was what it felt like to be a father. She'd only been exposed to the world for a short while, but he was already proud of her beyond all belief. Nick silently wondered if this was how his own father felt the first time he saw Nick and got to hold him. Nick soon felt himself starting to laugh in short and sweet giggles as well as having more tears cloud his vision. Nick felt compelled to do things and say things that he thought he would never get the chance to do and say. He didn't even hesitate.

"You are the love of my life. Everything I am, and everything I have… is yours, forever," he said as a few more tears dripped down his cheeks and onto the floor. Nick brought the kit up to his lips and gave her the tiniest kiss on the forehead, being extra careful not to wake her from her nap.

"Me, or our baby?" Judy asked quietly with a tired smile.

"How about both of you?" he said as he turned to Judy. "But let's not call her "our baby" for much longer. I think it's time to pick a name."

The topic of names had come up quite often, though they didn't have one specific name picked out. Part of the reason for that was because they didn't want to know the gender of their baby until she was born, Nick only finding out a few minutes ago. However, they had decided that the middle name would be Veronica if they had a girl, and Stuart if they had a boy.

Nick sat down on the bed, right next to Judy and even kicked his feet up onto it so that he was laying right next to her. Nick very gently placed his daughter back into Judy's arms, and, as they thought about what they were going to name her. The kit stirred in Judy's arms, and both of them watched as they received their first look that her eyes.

She didn't know how it happened, but the brilliant green irises that stared back at her displayed one of the most breathtaking colors she'd ever seen. Even more vibrant than the ones that Nick sported, Judy wondered if there was anything greener in the world. Upon further inspection of the tiny kit's eyes, Judy noticed that they were not completely green. Flecks of purple were dotted throughout them, which reminded Judy a lot of home and the large garden of flowers that she helped take care of. Her mind went to one flower in particular.

"How about Lavender?" she said quietly, keeping her eyes trained on the now awake little bunny. Nick took some time to think about the name, saying it in his head over and over again.

"Lavender Veronica Wilde-Hopps... It's perfect."

As the two of them admired their child, Lavender opened her mouth and let out as big a yawn as she could and blinked her eyes until they went closed again as she went back to sleep. Nick and Judy both smiled as the fox squeezed Judy closer and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You did good, sweetheart. I'm proud of you," Nick whispered as he continued to hold Judy. "The hardest part is over."

In his arms, he held the two most precious things he could have ever imagined. The feelings coursing through his veins could not be described through words; proud didn't even break the surface of the many layers of emotions that continued to make his eyes misty. If it could be described, Nick could think of only one word that came close.

Satisfaction.

He was satisfied with how everything turned out for not just himself, but for the two of them as a couple, and now adding in a third, tiny body, he felt that sense of satisfaction grow to new heights. Years passed when he thought that his final moments would be spent alone on the streets. No matter how many times he thought of the day he met Judy, the gratefulness for that day never ceased to grow with every passing moment he spent with her. He loved her, but over the years that he did so, Nick thought about what it meant to love someone. He'd finally found his answer.

To love someone meant doing whatever it took to make them happy, even if at your own expense. Even when their relationship was at stake, Nick knew that she still loved him, and he loved her. After that, Nick's entire purpose as her boyfriend, and later, her husband, was to make her happy with everything he did. That meant no secrets, no lies, and molding himself into a mammal that cared for her above anything else, because he knew that if he lost her, so, too, would he be lost.

To love someone meant facing your fears together. The moment Judy found out she was pregnant was perhaps the scariest moment in Nick's life, and he later found out that she, too, was terrified of the prospect. As far as they knew, there hadn't been very many kits born of parents of species as separated as they were genetically. Even the doctors that pretty much watched Judy throughout her entire pregnancy had no idea how it was possible, just that it happened. It made them love their daughter even more.

Nick thought about what his mother said to him just before he went to see Judy. This moment was it. Nothing else would ever match the feelings that he had right now. It was so perfect, so simple, and yet it was deeper than any love he'd ever felt in his life. This was the kind of love that mattered, the kind that said you would do anything to keep the other safe, anything to keep them happy. Completely selfless love.

"I know," Nick said, warranting a confused glare from Judy.

"I didn't say anything," she responded. Leaning his head over until it touched the base of her splayed back ears, Nick closed his eyes and released a satisfied sigh.

"I know what you were going to say."

"What would that be?"

"You were going to say how much you love me."

Judy smiled down at Lavender, still fast asleep and cute as a button. "Was I about to say that?" Judy took a second to bring her free paw up to Nick's face and lovingly touch his cheek.

"Yes, yes I was."

In the end, it is moments like these that remain, forever.

FIN.

* * *

 **A/N: That makes three. What a ride this story has been! And to think that this isn't even all from me! I have way too many ideas!**

 **So, with the completion of my third full-length story, there is a lot of thanking to be done. Let's get down to it!**

 **First off, I want to thank everyone that reviewed the very first chapter. It was great to see so much support right from the beginning!**

 **I also want to thank those of you who hated Tanya. I know, doesn't that sound strange? But I want to thank you guys because it gave me the motivation to keep going with the story, which is also the reason that I add in this next part.**

 **I want to thank** **Uranium235** **and** **Popopoyotl** **for providing such harsh reviews on Chapter 4. Though both of you stopped reading at that point, you also gave me the motivation to keep going. I wish you could have stayed to the end, God knows I tried to keep you with it, but you didn't, and though you won't see this message, I'm glad that you at least got to read some of it.**

 **Next on my list, is everyone who gave me consoling words when I nearly quit writing completely. December 14th, 2017 was the day that I announced I would be going on indefinite hiatus. Had it not been for those words, as well as some encouragement from my friends at school, I very well may not have had the drive to keep going. I still feel like a lot of an idiot for doing that, and so I'm still very sorry for it. It was a huge mistake, but I hope this makes up for it!**

 **I want to thank** **Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps** **. Your reviews are sublime, and each one made me smile! You also helped edit and look at chapters before they went out, and for that, I extend another thank you!**

 **Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank** **imjustlikehumphery** **for reviewing every single chapter like an absolute champ! Each one was very thorough, and I could easily tell that you really read each and every chapter without skipping so much as a single line! I'm glad that you were a part of this journey, so extra special thanks to you!**

 **Of course, there is one last group that I want to thank. It's all of you that stuck with it to the end. Things got a little anti-WildeHopps in there, but to those of you that looked past that, thank you so much. Everyone's reviews meant the world to me!**

 **Now, onto something else that is very important. The next story that I am going to write… it's release date… and title…**

 **Coming to a computer, phone, tablet, or any other internet connected device on Saturday, June 2nd 6:00 AM Central Standard Time, is… *drumroll intensifies***

 **Scar Tissue! If you want to know the little snippet I have, go check out my profile. It is under the Upcoming Projects section.**

 **And that is all I will say... for now!**

 **Well, if you actually read all of this, you are seriously one hell of a great person! For the last time on this story, thank you guys so much for reviewing, following, favoriting, and of course, reading! Take care! Have a great day!**

 **-Ande**


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